Film Review - Evil Does Not Exist (2023)

Nature cannot defend itself. We are unquestionably causing irreversible harm to the planet and destroying nature. However, nature can do nothing to stop this; it simply endures the punishment we give it, and it is up to humanity to reduce the damage. Evil Does Not Exist follows handyman Takumi, who must look after his daughter Hana. They both live in a local village in Japan called Mizubiki. The villagers become aware of a plan to build a glamping site in the village. However, due to bad planning or sheer laziness, the glamping plan would harm the local water supply. This plan endangers both the village environment and the community.

The film is utterly gorgeous from the first frame to the cinematography. It opens with a shot of a bright white sky as the camera slowly travels through a forest. We witness the beauty of dark, textured trees in contrast to the stark white sky, showing how simple and beautiful nature can be. This beauty continues as we see Takumi and Hana walking in the forest and identifying the types of trees. It is excellent storytelling, showing what nature means to our characters and what they are trying to protect.

It allows us to get invested and understand what they are fighting for. We get angry when we see simple requests being ignored and given a typical corporate response. We understand when we see the beauty of nature and know that people want to build structures that will cause irreversible damage to it. Especially in this day and age, the film resonates with utterly timely themes.

Ryusuke Hamaguchi is one of my favourite Japanese film writers and directors currently working, and he continues to prove why he is one of the best with Evil Does Not Exist. His vision is present and clear as day with every frame. The performances he can elicit from this incredible cast are mind-blowing. Due to the subject matter, it is very easy to have over-the-top characters that clearly state the themes. However, all the performances have this layer of subtlety to them that allows every character to be believable and genuine.

I feel what could be up for contention when it comes to the film is its ending. While it worked thematically and worked for me personally, I can see people watching it and feeling dissatisfied with the film. While I feel like I do get it upon the rewatch, I do feel it could have been a gut punch instead of just being great.

I have seen Evil Does Not Exist twice now, and I really do love it. It is a gorgeous and timely film that I feel will be ed for a long time indeed.