Polite Society

“High schooler Ria, an aspiring stuntwoman, is upset—very upset—when her older sister/bf Lena gives up on an art career and decides to marry and move to Singapore (the family lives in London). Director Nida Manzoor (this is her first feature) strove to capture each genre creatively and satirically, but none quite hit the bar. Sometimes an aspect would give me hope—for instance, the horror was handled in an almost entertaining way. But mostly I would just be reminded of films I actually liked in each genre.

“For the comedy aspect, many punchlines were stale, failing to generate laughs in the audience. The violence in the two families (Ria’s and Lena’s fiancé’s)—a showcase for Ria’s martial arts skill, or not—is over-the-top and I could hardly bear it. Siblings smash each others heads into mirrors; parents punch their kids, sending their heads snapping; classmates have bloody showdowns.

“I would not recommend this and was glad when it was over. Call me a fuddy-dud. 1 cat.”