Baby Assassins: Nice Days

Official Selection, 2024 Fantasia International Film Festival

Look, girls just want to have fun. Even our favorite teenage hitwomen Chisato and Mahiro deserve a beach holiday and a nice steak dinner. But things get complicated when they show up for a job at the seaside town of Miyazaki and they are met by an uninvited guest: a freelance assassin who is trying to get to their target first. Reluctantly teaming up with a no-nonsense squad leader (former AKB48 star Atsuko Maeda) and a bumbling beefcake (former taekwondo athlete Mondo Otani), Chisato and Mahiro go on the hunt for the mysterious party crasher.

But these are the famed Baby Assassins, meaning as bloody as their fists get, there is still room for laughs. With their signature casual cool and anime twinkle, Chisato and Mahiro seem to be on permanent vacation, shooting bestie glances at each other even while shooting up bad guys. As they square off against their most formidable villain yet, they make us wonder who we should fear more: the deranged madman or the kawaii Gen-Z assassins too nonchalant to count their kills? The most action-packed entry into the Baby Assassins franchise manages to still feel like the nicest of days, with sea breeze, instant noodles, and friends.

–Brian Hu