Evil Does Not Exist: A slow-burning, poetic, modern-day fable

One of our writers takes a look at the latest film from Hamaguchi, 'Evil does Not exist'.

Charlotte Thompson
13th May 2024
Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s latest film, Evil Does Not Exist, is a slow-burning but incredibly rewarding and intentional eco-parable that encourages its audience to examine the existence of 'evil' within our own environment. The film studies community, the conflict between our modern-world and the natural one and the consequences of neglecting our duty towards nature. Evil Does Not Exist is unhurried and mundane yet beautifully shot. Hamaguchi’s direction puts the natural world under the spotlight, with magnificent images of a rural, alpine Japan that at times feel other-worldly.

On the surface, the narrative of Evil Does Not Exist is simple. We follow the modest lives of Takumi (Hitoshi Omika) and his daughter Hana (Ryo Nishikawa) who live within the order of nature, taking only what they need. Hamaguchi takes his precious time establishing the local routines of Takumi’s rural community with shots of Takumi chopping wood and collecting spring water accompanied with longer moments in which the camera gazes up into the sky as he walks through the woodland. Only then does he disturb this perfectly curated equilibrium with the arrival of a plot to build a ‘glamping site’ right in the middle of a deer trail in the village. It is revealed that a Tokyo-based company has bought a plot of land to bring in profits but not without an ecological cost. The ‘glamping site’ threatens to pollute the spring water which is essential to the villages way of life. At first it seems like a story of corporate greed set to spoil the environment, however, Hamaguchi humanises our antagonists. He reveals that the representatives (Mayuzumi and Takahashi) feel guilty for what they are doing and confess to leading unhappy lives. The film becomes a meditation on the relationship between humankind and evil, the banality of these disasterous acts towards the environment and how they are continually perpetuated by normal people like you or me.

The film becomes a meditation of the relationship between humankind and evil

Evil Does Not Exist is constantly reminding us of the fragility of our lives, after the arrival of the representatives, Hamaguchi finds ways to subtly pervert the established natural order. Dull but purposeful inclusions like a corporate Zoom call meeting about government subsides or long car journeys in which our characters talk about dating apps seep into the narrative, trickling downstream and slowly polluting the previous tone. Additionally, repeated percussive hints like the fall of an axe or the shot of a rifle to silence the score, contribute to this feeling, implying that life is only a beat away from instability. Takumi urgently reminds us that “Balance is key, if you go overboard you upset the balance”, the threat of change looms over our characters and moments such as these seem to accumulate and flow downhill into an uncertain future. One scene that particularly stood out to me was at the height of action, Mayuzumi (Ayaka Shibutani) stands in front of the setting sun holding up her injured hand, it is a moment of peace during catastrophe. As members of the audience, we are invited to marvel at the natural phenomenon with her, Hamaguchi shows us what happens when we are ignorant of nature but also what is worth preserving.

"Balance is key, if you go overboard you upset the balance"

Evil Does Not Exist is deceptive in the way the narrative slowly meanders into something more sinister, it takes on an eerie yet mystical feeling reminding me of folklore. Hamaguchi ends on a surprising gesture, ultimately disrupting the peace of the film. In some ways this felt too sudden and extreme compared to the rest of the film, however, I would like to think that it was purposeful, signifying a release of frustrations after a very slow build up. We see the film’s core message: “Water always flows downhill, what you do upstream will end up affecting those living downstream” play out abruptly in these chilling final moments, Hamaguchi shows us the consequences of our actions on future generations.

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