Where to watch
Available at home
A father fights to protect his home from urban development in a rural Japanese village.
Trailer
Why watch this film?
In the rural alpine hamlet of Mizubiki, not far from Tokyo, Takumi and his daughter, Hana, lead a modest life gathering water, wood, and wild wasabi for the local udon restaurant. Increasingly, the townsfolk become aware of a talent agency’s plan to build an opulent glamping site nearby, offering city residents a comfortable "escape" to the snowy wilderness. When two company representatives arrive and ask for local guidance, Takumi becomes conflicted in his involvement, as it becomes clear that the project will have a pernicious impact on the community. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s follow up to his Academy Award®-winning DRIVE MY CAR is a foreboding fable on humanity's mysterious, mystical relationship with nature. As sinister gunshots echo from the forest, both the locals and representatives confront their life choices and the haunting consequences they have.
"Directed by the brilliant Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car), Evil Does Not Exist balances contemplative scenes with moments of agony to tell the story of Takumi and his daughter, Hana, two Japanese people who live in a quiet village in Tokyo. Their lives change drastically with the arrival of a construction company that plans to create camping areas so rich people can isolate themselves in nature. However, what seems good for some can become true hell for others."