Is there such a thing as too much ambiguity or too much openness in a film? If there was ever a movie that would make you ponder that question it’s Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s new film Evil Does Not Exist. I’m not sure if there’s ever been a movie I’ve struggled with reviewing quite like this one. At parts warmly inviting but also incredibly opaque, this movie is challenging but also weirdly simple throughout most of its run time.
Hamaguchi’s movie takes it’s stage in the Japanese countryside that has been mostly undeveloped and become the perfect place for a man like Takumi to raise his 8 year old daughter. As the local jack of all trades, he’s someone the community has looked to. This leads to him being involved in showing around a couple of talent agents, whose agency has acquired land in order to build a clamping retreat. After a briefing, they endeavor to try and win the locals over and maybe discover some things about themselves.
There’s a formal style to this movie that blends the naturalistic and the heightened drama. Hamaguchi makes use of really long takes and minimal cuts to really draw out various senses allowing the viewer to map their own opinions and expectations onto what is transpiring on screen. It’s a lovely approach and allows for the film to shift and morph depending on what he’s looking for or what he wants others to look for. I found nearly every frame of the movie to be extremely sinister and even as the movie proved to be incredibly funny, I was waiting for the shoe to drop. But I am not 100% certain I liked it. There’s a large amount to mull over and I was intrigued by it, but I do also feel as though I am grasping at straws while being kept at arms length.
Hitoshi Omika is the perfect vehicle for this tale in that you can absolutely believe that this man has become engrained in the community as well as someone capable of anything. I enjoyed trying to figure him out, even though he seems someone who is very straight forward.
It won’t be difficult for audiences to read into every interaction and in this respect, Evil Does Not Exist is well worth a view. Hopefully you’ll figure it out in a faster timeframe than me, or maybe like me, it’ll keep you thinking for a while.