Baby Assassins

Title: Baby Assassins 
Director: Yugo Sakamoto
Released: 2021
Starring:  Akari Takaishi, Saori Izawa, Yasukaze Motomiya, Satoshi Uekiya, Mone Akitani , Tsubasa Tobinaga, Takashi Nishina, Yousuke Oomizu 

Plot: Chisato (Akari Takaishi) and Mahiro (Saori Izawa) are high school students and highly trained assassins. Now facing graduation they are tasked by their agency to get part time jobs to help them blend in further which might be their toughest assignment yet. 

Review: A unique film to say the least as while the film is bookended with a pair of blistering action sequences the film itself is much more of a mumblecore comedy following schoolgirl assassins Chisato and Mahiro who facing their impending graduation from High School find themselves thrust into adult life by their agency as the pair are forced to move into together as well as finding part time jobs to further their cover. 

It’s certainly a unique clash of styles that Sakamoto has chosen for the film and considering that Saori Izawa has a background in stunt work worked on both John Wick 4 were she doubled for Rina Sawayama and GI Joe prequel Snake Eyes it’s understandable why he would want to make full use of her skills. The fact that she’s an equally capable actress is only an added bonus as while the two big action sequences which open and close the film might be the draw its the relationship between Chisato and Mahiro that really keeps the film together. 

Chisato and Mahiro are in many ways the odd couple pairing as while Chisato is outgoing and confident, Mahiro is socially awkward and shy which certainly only further hampers her attempts to find a part time job even when she manages to follow Chisato into working in a maid cafe were she mumbles her way through the hyperactive greetings that Chisato attacks with gusto. But watching the pair playing house or more precisely spending more time lazing on the couch than finding jobs you really get a sense of the connection they share which goes deeper than just being paired together. Comedy wise though it’s an acquired taste and might come off more dry than laugh out loud with humour finding the situation rather than a series of intentionally humorous setups outside of Mahiro killing the washing machine when she washes her pistol with her clothes. 

To add some tension to the film we also have the sadistic and genuinely scary Yakuza boss Ippei (Motomiya) whose son and daughter prove that the crazy apple doesn’t fall far from the psychotic tree and who are soon trying to track down when they unwittingly kill his head drug dealer. This subplot really doesn’t add much to the film other than some moments of uncomfortable tension and the action packed finale. But till then it’s mainly just them going around the city and intimidating the locals rather than adding anything too substantial to the plot.

Thankfully the payoff is worth the wait especially when Izawa breaks out of her sloth mode and switches to fighting mode which really makes me hope that she gets a project to show off her incredible skills that we get a taste of here and while Takaishi might not have the same background she still shows off some impressive gun handling skills which add to the fun which only made me wish this there was more action in the film for them to shine and less weird yakuza family antics. Certainly it’s what raised my rating it half a star in much the same way as the finale of A Better Tommorow 2 
It’s not a film which is going to appeal to everyone especially with the dry humour and sedimentary plotting but there’s certainly something about the film whether it was the kick ass action set piece (all two of them) or just the Two Broke Girls esq relationship of Chisato and Mahiro that has me at least curious about the sequel.