“Upbeat, funny, ridiculous and tender,” the Financial Times critic Sarah Hemming writes in her review of The Buddha of Suburbia. Emma Rice’s adaptation of Hanif Kureishi’s 1990 novel is set in South London in 1976, where 17-year-old Karim—born to an Indian father and an English mother—feels trapped by his suburban environment. With unemployment high, food scarce, and strikes common, escape seems unlikely—until the theater world opens its doors, transforming Karim’s life forever. Time passes and new encounters lead to adultery, rebellious youths spiral out of control, feminists face arranged marriages, and success is tested by racism. “The narrative deftly explores serious questions about identity and self-determination,” writes Hemming, “in a fractious, often ugly environment.” —Jeanne Malle