Source: Stills from Polite Society (Netflix)
Polite Society is one of the most entertaining movies released in 2023. It is a unique genre movie that combines action, drama, and science fiction.
This movie truly represents what marriage stands for in a patriarchy. It is the first one I have watched that unabashedly tears down the patriarchy without any fear.
The movie is about sisterhood and how it is the answer to fighting against this centuries-old practice.
The female rage, which is very rarely represented in our pop culture, is beautifully portrayed in this movie. The movie is honest in what it is trying to say, without watering it down or trying to please anyone.
Here are a few aspects of the movie that stood out:
1. Women’s Dreams and Ambitions
People will support you as long as you stay in line. You can choose professions “suitable for ladies,” like becoming a doctor, but you should not dream of doing anything too unconventional.
2. Women Are Not Allowed to Fail
One failure—that’s it. You have proven to everyone what they already believe about women. You end up with practically zero support system after a failure.
Now, you will have to fall in line and get a husband for a secure future because you can’t make it on your own.
3. Women Are Gaslighted Into Marriage
From pop culture to literature, the love that is highlighted the most is romance. In my opinion, it is highly overrated.
Women are sold the idea of romance, marriage, and security and are encouraged to pursue a husband. The truth is, nothing in life can guarantee security.
The price we pay for that false sense of security is sometimes our own identity.
We are all creating a false sense of safety, sitting within a bubble that can break at any moment.
4. Women Are Still Considered Bodies
People pursue women’s bodies, not their whole selves. These bodies are used for sex, reproduction, and free labor.
Marriages in a patriarchy are, more or less, a business. They have never been made for women or their betterment.
5. In the End, Only Women Come to a Woman’s Rescue
The movie is about sisterhood. In many cases that we read about every day, it is ultimately one woman who takes a stand to help many other women.
Even though men are often portrayed as protectors, the chances of a woman helping you out are usually higher.
6. Sisterhood to Fight Against Narcissistic Systems Like Patriarchy
No woman can do it alone. One scapegoat can’t fight all the narcissists and enablers in her life. We need to build a support system to combat this evil.
Women should support other women. You must be a girl’s girl first, before anything else. Sisterhood is the key to fighting patriarchy.
In the movie, Ria Khan is the only person who stands up for her sister. Her sister does not receive support from anywhere else. Ria Khan and her friends truly defines what sisterhood can look like.
7. Sons and Their Mothers
Men who are raised to feel entitled and special from birth will act privileged. There is no surprise there.
The mothers enable these sons — their “princes.” Maybe they received their first validation from patriarchy through their sons.
The frustration and hate these mothers faced in their own lives are often passed on to their daughters-in-law. Many women enable patriarchy for the fake sense of safety and security it offers them.
They will happily throw other women under the bus for the men in their lives, sadly not realizing that tomorrow these men might do the same to them.
8. The Honesty of the Movie in Portraying Sisterhood and Tearing Down Patriarchy
There is no watering down or trying to show “nice” guys to compensate for criticizing patriarchy. The honesty and rage of the protagonist, Ria Khan, embody the overall sentiment of the movie. She calls a spade a spade.
Female rage is an emotion that is often mocked and taken less seriously. This movie is about women fighting it out everywhere—at home, in schools, workplaces, and in the world—to get what they deserve.
I am surprised at how seldom we see the frustration and fury of women living in this society.
Ria Khan‘s optimism, honesty, and courage are what we take away from this movie.
