Evil Does Not Exist, 2023.
Written and Directed by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi.
Starring Hitoshi Omika, Ryo Nishikawa, Ryuji Kosaka, Ayaka Shibutani, Hazuki Kikuchi, and Hiroyuki Miura.
SYNOPSIS:
Takumi and his daughter Hana live in Mizubiki Village, close to Tokyo. One day, the village inhabitants become aware of a plan to build a camping site near Takumi’s house offering city residents a comfortable “escape” to nature.
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi cares about the environment, evident from lingering on cinematographer Yoshio Kitagawa’s exquisitely captured Mizubiki woodland scenery (elevated by an ominous but not overbearing score from Eiko Ishibashi) in this riveting ecological drama, Evil Does Not Exist. This film seems to intentionally push along the opening credits a bit slower than usual, solely to let the camera glide across the trees for as long as possible.
Similarly, there are silent, unbroken, peaceful shots of Hitoshi Omika’s Takumi handling the village’s odd jobs, such as chopping wood and collecting water. He also takes it upon himself to educate his young daughter Hana about the different types of bark, nearby animals, and what could be poisonous, all with the same soft voice and patience he brings to his village duties.
This idyllic life is threatened when two talent agents representing a shady company looking to capitalize on post-pandemic subsidies arrived to give a presentation on a seemingly inevitable glamping project (glamorized camping intended as a means for touristic attraction.) During a compelling sequence sustained with dark humor and infuriating, the locals pick apart the problems with the blueprint one by one, primarily pointing out that the location for a proposed septic tank will quickly contaminate their water since what starts upstream must eventually flow downstream.
Intriguingly, the talent agency is depicted as following orders from superiors resistant to listen to reason (rather than the enemy (or the evil). Almost immediately, they realize that the locals have legitimate gripes and look to meet with Takumi to garner trust and explore solutions, especially considering the village highly respects him. One of the agents has more of a moral conscience than the other. Sometimes, the film gets sidetracked into random, unrelated conversations that are still entertaining to listen to due to the excellent ensemble.
While it is enraging that this soulless company looking for profits insists on renovating the land for tourism, it’s also thought-provoking that Takumi is willing to work with them and search for a balance, stating that the average human is just as capable of damaging the land. Evil Does Not Exist is a complex film that isn’t out to vilify anyone but to shine a light on how depressing and defeating this situation is. The shocking, ambiguous, abrupt ending is undoubtedly a conversation starter but also cheapens much of the build-up, somewhat feeling as if the third act was left unfinished. However, it’s the craftsmanship that really burrows its way under the skin for this one.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
