Polite Society & The Assassin

The Austin Asian American Film Festival presents this double feature of only very tangentially related films about, well, ladies kicking ass. They’re both recommended, if a study in tonal contrasts: We Are Lady Parts creator Nida Manzoor helmed 2023 action-comedy Polite Society, about a British-Pakistani teen and wannabe movie stunt performer who must save her sister from an extremely bad marriage match, while Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s 2015 wuxia epic – wherein the titular assassin’s resolve is tested when she’s sent to kill her childhood sweetheart – is deadly serious, and a stunning piece of artistry. – Kimberley Jones