EVIL DOES NOT EXIST
Starring: Hitoshi Omika, Ryo Nishikawa, Ryuji Kosaka, and Ayaka Shibutani
Director: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
PAIGE
Evil Does Not Exist is a slow-paced, peaceful story about humans and their relationship with nature, as well as a commentary on the importance of preserving our natural resources. With a fantastic score and beautiful scenes throughout, I found myself more and more interested until I reached the third act. While I thought that the story would play out one way, the third act takes a somewhat out-of-the-blue turn that feels a bit abrupt and out of place. I didn't see it coming, that’s for sure, and maybe the metaphoric ending just needed more lead up to make sense.
ADRIANO
Not many directors can make an elongated wood-chopping sequence captivating, but that's what Ryûsuke Hamaguchi pulls off in Evil Does Not Exist as he takes on the environmental crisis with care and insight. The landscapes of the film are stunningly well shot, and the characters on both sides are handled with depth in a way that doesn't villainize anyone. Unfortunately, the final ten minutes take a turn for the worst, feeling like a completely different film that ditches the subtly for thrills. All in all, a once brilliant film that falls flat in the end.
This film was reviewed by Adriano and Paige as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and the 2023 New York Film Festival, respectively.