Evil Does Not Exist

"Don't upset the balance."

2023 1h 46m JA

👍

6.8

SOLID

🔥

91%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

IMDB

★6.8TMDB · 324🍅91%Rotten Tomatoes●83Metacritic★7IMDB · 12,682

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Takumi and his daughter Hana live in Mizubiki Village, close to Tokyo. One day, the village inhabitants become aware of a plan to build a camping site near Takumi's house offering city residents a comfortable "escape" to nature.

“Don't upset the balance.”

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Cast

Hitoshi Omika
Takumi
Ryo Nishikawa
Hana
Ryuji Kosaka
Takahashi
Ayaka Shibutani
Mayuzumi
Hazuki Kikuchi
Sachi
Hiroyuki Miura
Kazuo
Yoshinori Miyata
Horiguchi
Yûto Torii
Tatsuki

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Writers: Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 3 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, shot by Yoshio Kitagawa. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Eiko Ishibashi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ryusuke Hamaguchi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Hitoshi Omika and Ryo Nishikawa and Ryuji Kosaka carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Don't upset the balance.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt28490044 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ryusuke Hamaguchi directs. Yoshio Kitagawa behind the camera. Eiko Ishibashi scores. Ryusuke Hamaguchi cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 3 years ago.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, shot by Yoshio Kitagawa. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Eiko Ishibashi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Ryusuke Hamaguchi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Hitoshi Omika and Ryo Nishikawa and Ryuji Kosaka carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Don't upset the balance.".
8IMDB entry: tt28490044 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 12 themes, including "winter", "village", "forest", "tokyo, japan".

The technical file

Cinematography: Yoshio Kitagawa
Original score: Eiko Ishibashi
Editing: Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Production design: Masato Nunobe
VFX supervisor: Kazuyori Kosaka
Runtime: 106 min · 1h 46m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Evil Does Not Exist (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 83/100
IMDB rating: 7/10 · 12,682 votes
US box office: $831,685

Awards

17 wins & 45 nominations total

FIPRESCI Prize at Festival of Venice
Grand Jury Prize of the Venice Film Festival

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Ryusuke Hamaguchi

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Manuel São Bento2023-10-11
★ 5/10
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/evil-does-not-exist-bfi-london-film-festival-review-technically-brilliant-yet-unimpactful/ "Evil Does Not Exist is a disappointing slow-burn that fails to offer a fitting, impactful, complete study of the genuinely interesting central themes linked to nature, sense of community, simplicity of life, and industrial profit fixation. Technically, no faults: Ryusuke Hamaguchi has a superb crew, using lovely cinematography and an atmospheric score to create an immersive, intricate environment. The big problem lies in the filmmaker's overconfidence in the audience to develop and finish his own story and respective character arcs, culminating in a disconcertingly shocking, strangely empty ending." Rating: C
CinemaSerf2024-04-06
★ 7/10
The initial few scenes here will give you an idea as to the pace of what's to follow. "Takumi" (Hitoshi Omika) is cutting logs for firewood, then he is seen laboriously ladling water into plastic bottles. His is a naturally structured existence that is driven by what's needed to stay fed, warm and watered. It's not quite a rustic life, though, there are plenty of mod cons - cars, electricity and the like, and his curious daughter "Hana" (Ryo Nishikawa) goes to the local school from where he regularly forgets to pick her up! The local planners and a talent agency have cottoned on to the beauty of this unspoilt area and have decided it could be ideal for a clamping site. A town meeting is organised and two city-folks turn up with precious little idea as to the impact their plans might have. Sent away with a flea in their ear, their bosses come up with a very watered down compromise to provide for a permanent caretaker - and they want to offer that job as a sop to "Takumi". What now follows sees the city-folks become more engrossed in his country ways until he, again, forgets to pick up his child and she goes missing. They all have to search high and low for her as the darkness and cold settles in for the night. Oddly enough it's the laconic dialogue and the gentle pacing that make this story a bit more interesting. The reconciliation of progress with nature, the clear clamour for profits at all costs and the power of persuasion all play their part before a slightly mystical denouement that rather emphasises the continuity of nature regardless of man's involvement. The young Nishikawa delivers sensitively as the film offers us quite an unique look at how man and it's environment ought to synergise.