Time: 106 Minutes
Age Rating: PG – Violence
Cast:
Hitoshi Omika as Takumi
Ryo Nishikawa as Hana
Ryuji Kosaka as Takahashi
Ayaka Shibutani as Mayuzumi
Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi

I was very interested in Evil Does Not Exist ever since I learned that it was directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, whose last film was the excellent Drive My Car. I got a chance to catch it at the NZIFF, not knowing what to expect outside of the basic premise, and personally, it didn’t disappoint.

I do think it’s worth watching this movie not knowing too much beforehand, that makes the little surprises in the narrative hit a little harder. The opening section did a good job at establishing the mountain village setting, its calmness as well as its environment. You quickly pick up its very slow and steady pace; it is a slow burn, especially in its early portion, and that might alienate some viewers. Evil Does Not Exist is sort of a slice of life movie, very patient, meditative, and with a gradual build up, and I was vibing with the very serene atmosphere. Near the end of the first act it shifts gears with a scene involving a meeting at a town hall, which is where the plot really picks up and when it had me fully locked in. All the slow build up really does pay off in the second half, and I found the movie to be captivating. The film really is about the conflict between nature and mankind, and the environmental impact of capitalism and greed. I was really liking the movie, then it arrived at the jarring ending which threw me off my otherwise excellent experience. I didn’t know how to feel about it, and looking online, it seemed that there were a lot of split reactions to the ending. No spoilers but it takes a turn and has something of an ambiguous and thought provoking ending which is sure to have people talking about it. Reading others’ thoughts afterwards, I think I feel a little better about the ending now, and one day I might revisit the film with that in mind.

This movie has some great performances from its cast, Hitoshi Omika, Ryo Nishikawa, Ryuji Kosaka and Ayaka Shibutani particularly felt very believable in their roles.

As expected, Evil Does Not Exist is excellently directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. The cinematography is stunning; there are so many long shots in this movie which are effective, especially when used to capture the beauty of nature in this village setting. I really liked the movie’s use of sound, cycling between silence and Eiko Ishibashi’s phenomenal and entrancing score. 

Evil Does Not Exist is a captivating, deliberately paced, and contemplative drama, masterfully directed and with great performances. Among the year’s best so far.