The Japanese Film Festival Ireland is coming this April. From the 9th of April, many films from up-and-coming talent as well as established names will be showcased. It’s a stacked lineup and you can find out more here. I was lucky enough to attend the Opening Ceremony and the film that I got to see was the latest film from Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Evil Does Not Exist.
Starring a small ensemble cast Evil Does Not Exist is about a small community. This village has to contend with a company coming in and bringing ‘Glamping’ to the area. Everyone is worried about the knock-on effects on the villagers.
With the company and the villagers coming to an impasse, something has to give and throughout the whole film, you’re wondering how this will resolve.
Evil Does Not Exist is a fascinating film. I found myself on a razor’s edge while watching the film. The story involving the villagers is interesting as you see this peaceful and harmonious community live a rough but peaceful life. Everything is taken at a deliberate pace, from the characters to the very direction of the film. Scenes linger just long enough to help you take it all in. This style mirrors the characters who don’t want to rush into anything. They want to understand everything, they don’t want to damage the good life they have. These are hearty people and they are commendable.
This is showcased in a surprisingly compelling scene involving the town meeting with the company that wishes to go forward with its Glamping project. The whole community understands what is going on. They know exactly what to ask and it stumps the representatives from the company and it’s a satisfying scene.
Water always flows downhill
Seeing the modern world encroaching on the natural is a theme many fans of Ghibli will recognise. And it’s done in this film in a quite humane fashion. To me, this made the film relatable and engaging. Others though may find the pace far too slow for their tastes.
The score is also one of the best elements for me. Both beautiful and unnerving at the same time. It’s a powerful duality that stayed with me. The most impactful element of Evil Does Not Exist for though, was its ending. I have been mulling it over in my head since I saw the film and I love that. It is rare for that to happen and it brought such a chilling new layer to the film.
Hamaguchi and his cast achieved something quite memorable here and I highly recommend this film to fans of the quiet human stories.
Stay tuned to Scannain for more news, reviews and interviews.