Polite Society: how to watch, trailer, reviews, cast and everything we know

Priya Kansara in Polite Society
Priya Kansara in Polite Society (Image credit: Focus Features)

In April 2022, an outside-the-box action movie hit movie theaters with a lot of strong buzz about it. Eleven months later Everything Everywhere All at Once won the Oscar for Best Picture and grossed more than $100 million at the worldwide box office. It may be a bit presumptuous to think that Polite Society could repeat those feats, but there are a number of similarities that should excite movie fans.

Polite Society is an indie action movie that has gotten a lot of buzz after premiering at festivals and has the chance to satisfy the action itch many moviegoers may have as they get ready for the official start of the summer blockbuster season.

Let's dive into everything you need to know about Polite Society, from its release date to what critics are saying about it, its trailer and who's in it.

How to watch Polite society

Polite Society is now playing exclusively in movie theaters in the US and UK. Check your local movie theater's website or Fandango to find and purchase tickets.

Polite Society plot

Polite Society looks to be combination of a lot of tantalizing components — heightened action and comedy and a story centered around Indian culture and sisterhood. Here is the official synopsis:

"A merry mash up of sisterly affection, parental disappointment and bold action, Polite Society follows martial artist-in-training Ria Khan who believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting the help of her friends, Ria attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood."

Polite Society trailer

Watch the trailer for Polite Society below and tell me you're not the least bit intrigued about the movie: 

Polite Society cast

Leading the way in Polite Society as Ria Khan is Priya Kansara. Her biggest credit before this movie was appearing in a pair of Bridgerton season 2 episodes. Starring alongside Kansara as Ria's sister Lena is Ritu Arya, who has a handful of major credits to her name, including Last Christmas, Doctor Who, Red Notice and The Umbrella Academy; she also is set to appear in another big 2023 movie, Barbie.

Here is the rest of the Polite Society principal cast:

Polite Society reviews — what the critics are saying

The critics love Polite Society, as Rotten Tomatoes scores the movie as "Certified Fresh" at 91% as of April 28. Alissa Wilkinson of Vox writes that the movie is "a joyful romp all its own," while Variety's Peter Debruge believes that the movie could one day be "an infinitely quotable future classic."

Polite Society director

Nira Manzoor on set of Polite Society

Nira Manzoor on set of Polite Society (Image credit: Focus Features)

Nida Manzoor wrote and directed Polite Society, her first feature film, but she is not short on experience. Her work in TV includes directing a pair of Doctor Who episodes as well as creating and directing the entire first season of We Are Lady Parts

How long is Polite Society

Polite Society has a run time of one hour and 43 minutes.

What is Polite Society rated?

Polite Society is rated PG-13 in the US and 12A in the UK for "strong language, violence, sexual material and some partial nudity.

Polite Society poster

(Image credit: Focus Features)
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Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.