A scene from 'Polite Society'

Here are two films that work as minor masterpieces with malicious intent. Polite Society is feminist action with intriguing, original heroines set in contemporary London, while Sisu is Rambo-revisited, with one lone man against a convoy of Nazis during the tail end of World War 2.

Polite Society (Amazon Prime on Demand, UK/India) - If you pushed me against the wall and asked me why I enjoyed this film so much, and to describe it; I’d say that Director Nida Manzoor surprises us by giving us a film that feels like it’s early Tarantino, but from a female perspective. Ria Khan is a young girl of Indian descent who lives in London, and while attending her comprehensive, dreams of becoming a premier stunt woman. She takes martial arts lessons and uploads videos of herself in the hope that it will be noticed by her idol, a British stuntwoman who’s achieved global fame. But first things first, she’s got to help her elder sister, Lena, who’s a promising artist, get out of her funk.

The cast would generally be a list of unknowns for a Filipino audience, but don’t let that stop you from seeking out this film, as you won’t be sorry, and you will be charmed all the way. There’s an authentic feel to all that transpires - Lena is for some obscure reason the ideal girl for the local, rich, bachelor of the day. And of course, Ria is so sure something shady is going on, as the family of this rich playboy, reeks too much of ulterior motives and skullduggery. It isn't long before Ria enlists her two best friends from school and they end up attempting the most regrettable set of deceptions in order to expose the playboy and his family. It’s a wonderful mishmash of tradition and culture, versus family, sister bonding, and a whole lot of moxie.

Sisu (Amazon Prime on Demand, Finland) - If you’re looking for hard-boiled, straightforward action, with a hero that’s presented in vivid contrast to the villainous elements of a film, look further than this old-school film. Everything is clear cut, with no shades of grey getting in the way of identifying who is the good guy, and who are the bad people. It’s Finland 1944 and Aatami (Jordas Tomilla) has turned his back on the war, resorting to the solitary occupation of a gold prospector in the wild tundra of Northern Finland. He stumbles upon a vein of gold and extracts it to head to a nearby town. Of course, the Nazis are in the midst of defeat, applying their scorched Earth philosophy to the countryside as they retreat.

A scene from 'Sisu'

You know that Aatami is going to end up encountering these Nazis, and it isn’t long before knives are imposed on the skull of a leering Nazi, and the other Nazis retaliate. Think Rambo set in World War 2, with Finnish women picked up as comfort women thrown into the picture to raise the stakes of rescue and Aatami’s nobility. There’s a relentless aspect to the narrative, and at one juncture, it seems we’re just trying to explore what would be a man’s breaking point. Directed by Jalmari Helander, this film brings back classic mayhem and the spilling of blood and guts in a manner that defies logic. Sisu is a Finnish term that describes white-knuckled determination, and you certainly get what you came for with this film.