Fantasia 2026: THE SPECIALS

AVEX Pictures

Whenever someone says that a film is a "throwback," it's often a misnomer. More often than not, they're referring to a film's style rather than its ability to capture the feeling of movies from a certain time and place. Then there's Elijah Uchida's THE SPECIALS, a movie that truly embraces the idea of being a throwback by emulating the vibe prevalent in late-'90s and early-'00s indie films. It achieves this rare feat by focusing its energy on a ridiculous story and entertaining characters to deliver a weirdly sweet, delectable treat that will plaster a big, dumb grin on your face.

The best way to describe the film is that THE SPECIALS is LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE meets THE FULL MONTY... with Yakuza.

As is the case with many stories surrounding the Yakuza, the film opens with an orchestrated hit. The Kazama Clan has been entrenched in an ongoing war with its hated rivals for over a decade. The main stick in its craw is that the leader of the Honjo Clan (Renji Ishibashi) manages to survive countless assassination attempts by using body doubles.

After the most recent failure, Kazama (Naomasa Musaka) entrusts his most loyal foot soldier, Kumashiro (Kippei Shiina), with putting an end to Honjo once and for all. Thankfully, an underling has an idea for how to get the job done. It turns out that Honjo only makes official public appearances to watch his granddaughter compete in dance competitions. So, as long as Kumashiro can put together a group and perform in the same showcase, they can pull off the hit. Easy!

Part of what makes Uchida's film so inviting is the ease with which everything flows. The setup and the majority of the characters are established within the first 15 minutes. The thought of making yet another film where people have to win regionals to get to nationals seems like it would be riddled with clichés and border on the farcical, yet THE SPECIALS balances everything just right with an undeniable earnestness. 

AVEX Pictures

Knowing he doesn't have the best pool to choose from, Kumashiro assembles the best hitmen he can find, each with at least a minor dance background. Kiryu (Yuta) competed in talent shows until relentless mocking from his peers sent him running. Shin (Sho Aoyagi) has all the blistering machismo of someone who spent his youth doing folk dancing. Kumashiro himself dances to the music of an '80s pop idol.

Then there's Daiya "Dai" (Daisuke Sakuma). Once the most feared hitman in the game, he quietly quit after a job went wrong. Now, he spends his days working incognito at a small orphanage to atone for his past sins. He's the hardest for Kumashiro to convince, as he's still haunted by growing up in the shadow of a world-renowned ballerina and her strict teaching style. Yet when it turns out that the orphanage might be closed down and turned into condos unless someone saves the day, he quickly changes his tune.

The group, as you'd expect, is hopeless at first. That is, until one of the wards Dai looks after, Asuka (Urara), catches him as his cohorts leave dance practice. Convinced she can whip the team into shape, the plucky 10-year-old shows these misfits that they can overcome adversity if they just open themselves up a little.

A large part of what makes Uchida's tale so engaging comes from the heavy lifting done by its cast. It's a masterstroke to fill out the hit squad with male idols (Sakuma), K-pop stars (Yuta), and bona fide stalwarts of the Yakuza genre. That last category extends to the final member of the dance troupe—and THE SPECIALS’ MVP—Hitoshi Ozawa, a man who has done it all both in front of and behind the camera in Japanese cinema. As Murasame, the grizzled ex-con and ex-Yakuza, he becomes both the heart of the group and the film.

Against all expected logic, THE SPECIALS plants its flag firmly when it comes to committing to its tone. It might feature Yakuza, but this is a marshmallow of a film. Fluffy, sweet, and satisfying, it wants to delight audiences with its sense of camaraderie and character growth instead of copious amounts of bloodshed or explosions. Yes, there are a couple of action beats, but none of them compare to the dance sequences performed by the leads themselves.

At the same time, it should be noted that the film isn't without its faults. Some scenes go on for a beat too long. The film devotes too much time to the other contestants in the competition and not enough to the main group. The most egregious issue that might turn people off is the use of CGI muzzle flashes and digital blood. It's not used that often, but when it does appear, it's glaringly obvious.

Those issues aren't enough to sink the film, though. People complain these days that Hollywood doesn't make many comedies anymore—whether crowd-pleasers or high-concept ones—but you only need to look at the international market. THE SPECIALS is full of clichés, well-trodden tropes, and ideas that feel Frankensteined together from other scripts. Yet it works like gangbusters in a way that's hard to describe. It wins you over with its characters, fun set pieces, and an infectious sense of joy that often seems lacking in modern films.

The Honjo Clan leader's granddaughter sums it up perfectly (just replace "dance" with "filmmaking"):

"Your performance reminded us that dance isn't just about skill. Passion is vital.”