Rakel (Kristine Kujath Thorp) and Ingrid (Tora Christine Dietrichson) are at a locker room getting ready for an aikido class, one of the many spontaneous activities the roommates take part in together when the latter notices her friend’s decolletage has considerably bumped in size. They joke, heading into the studio where Rakel quickly recognises the teacher, Mos (Nader Khademi), a man she slept with just a few weeks prior. Their interaction is limited in class but takes on high levels of awkwardness when the young woman has to be kicked out of the gym bathroom by Mos after spending a long-time trying to… hmm… find some relief.

From the get-go, Ninja Baby shows a fresh boldness in its comedy. Once Rakel finds out she’s not just a couple of weeks pregnant but a full six months in, the college dropout spirals, frantically looking for a way out. It is from this point forward that the film transitions from your typical quirky millennial romcom to an examination of the perils of motherhood, and how this generation deals with long-ingrained societal expectations on career and dating, including a hipster romantic partner hilariously branded Dick Jesus (Arthur Berning). 

There is much to praise in Ninja Baby, the ingenious use of animation within the narrative, the charming lead performances and the clever way in which comedy is used as a device to debunk stereotypes. However, there is a lack of a certain sense of responsibility when dealing with the realities of adoption, particularly when it comes to the character of Rakel’s half-sister, Mie (Silya Nymoen).

It’s too big of an ask to have a small indie comedy to properly dwell on the often excruciating reality of the subject, but a bit more tact would have carried Ninja Baby all the way to the finish line.

RATING: 3/5

INFORMATION

CAST:  Kristine Kujath Thorp, Arthur Berning, Nader Khademi

DIRECTOR: Yngvild Sve Flikke

WRITERS: Johan Fasting, Yngvild Sve Flikke

SYNOPSIS: Astronaut, forest-keeper, cartoonist. Young Rakel has a whole lot of other plans than becoming a mother. She would rather party, get drunk or stoned instead of sitting hours on the toilet. But she can’t ignore it. Is it her or the baby?