AFI Fest: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s ‘Evil Does Not Exist’

By Abe Friedtanzer 

Following Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s Oscar nomination for Best Director for Drive My Car two years ago and his win in the Best International Feature category, it’s fair to assume most foreign-language cinephiles will be seeking out his work if they weren’t already. I had the chance to see Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, his other 2021 film, which was very different but just as interesting in its own way. Now, Hamaguchi’s latest, Evil Does Not Exist, is touring the festival circuit, with previous stops at Venice, Toronto, and New York, among others, before the currently running AFI Fest…

While Evil Does Not Exist isn’t anywhere close to three hours – it’s well under two – the opening scenes feel like they could last forever. Aerial shots of trees and a thunderous score from composer Eiko Ishibashi adorn the screen for minutes at a time before the film’s primary protagonists are introduced and begin speaking, Takumi (Hitoshi Omika) and his daughter Hana (Ryo Nishikawa). It proceeds along at an extremely slow pace until reaching a pivotal scene that changes everything. Two representatives of a glamping company have been sent to a small village to brief the residents on what they’re planning, and to say that the meeting goes poorly is a severe understatement.

There’s a marvelous simplicity to this film and the storytelling that frames its content in a fascinating way. It’s actually startling to hear so much talking when Takahashi (Ryuji Kosaka) and his colleague Mayuzumi (Ayaka Shibutani) begin their meeting, believing that they will appease the crowd with their grand tales of how their corporate presence will enrich the region. Yet there is a quiet but pointed tone of resistance from those present, particularly Takumi, who stress the parts of the plan that haven’t been thought through, such as how a percentage of the sewage won’t be cleaned and will filter directly into their water supply.

While it begins and ends in a pensive, wordless manner, this film is at its most compelling when it shifts focus from Takumi and his fellow villagers to Takahashi and Mayuzumi as they go back to their boss to suggest slowing down and reconsidering the entire project, only to be told that it’s still going to happen. Kosaka and Shibutani reveal unexpected and fascinating layers of their characters, and it’s mesmerizing to see how they change their approach when they realize Takumi is the key to everything. Omika is reserved and shares just enough for audiences to wonder about him and how he truly feels. This film won’t be for everyone since it doesn’t maintain that narrative approach throughout, but its aesthetics are deeply compelling even when there isn’t quite as much explicitly happening on screen. B

Evil Does Not Exist is screening in the Luminaries section at AFI Fest 2023.