Polite Society Trailer: An Aspiring Stuntwoman Is Thrust Into A Real-Life Action Movie In Sundance-Bound Comedy

Stunt performers are arguably among the most overlooked members of the filmmaking industry. After all, they put their lives and bodies on the line for the daring stunts we see in movies, both big and small, every year. Needless to say, we don't typically get films centered around them, much less give them the spotlight they deserve.

In Nida Manzoor's "Polite Society," however, stunt people might just be the key to exposing a dangerous conspiracy. Manzoor, who made much-deserved waves with her Peacock series "We Are Lady Parts," makes her feature directorial debut with this action-packed comedy premiering at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival. To mark such an occasion, Focus Features released our first look at the film, in addition to revealing when audiences who are not Park City-bound can check it out.

The film follows Ria (Priya Kansara), who's on a mission to become a stuntwoman, much to the dismay of her parents. Her only familial support is from her older sister, Lena (Ritu Arya), who leads a similarly untraditional life as an aspiring artist. However, Lena suddenly abandons everything, including her sister, to be engaged to an affluent doctor named Salim (Akshay Khanna). After discovering a terrifying secret about Salim and his family, it's up to Ria to save her sister using her wits and, most importantly, her badass fighting skills.

Watch the trailer for Polite Society

Nida Manzoor's action-comedy hybrid also stars Nimra Bucha, Seraphina Beh, Ella Bruccoleri, Shobu Kapoor, Shona Babayemi, and Jeff Mirza. In addition to directing the film, Manzoor also wrote its screenplay. Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, John Pocock, and Olivier Kaempfe serve as producers. We can't officially confirm the stunt people responsible for bringing the trailer's sick moves to the screen, but we tip our hats to them all the same.

"Polite Society" premieres at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on Friday, January 20, and will screen for four additional days. Afterward, the film will hit U.K. theaters on April 7, 2023, before finally arriving on U.S. screens three weeks later on April 28. Check out Focus Features' official synopsis for the film below:

"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."