20 Best Movies Of 2024 (So Far)
7. Evil Does Not Exist
Following on from the success of 2021's masterpiece Drive My Car, Ryusuke Hamaguchi's latest jewel Evil Does Not Exist had an awful lot riding on its shoulders.
Luckily for us, this is yet another masterstroke that aims high and misses not a step, concerning itself with a small Japanese village whose natural way of life is being encroached on by the looming spectre of deforestation and ecological disaster.
Visually stunning and beautiful shot to explore its natural beauty, Evil Does Not Exist is an affecting look at nature versus the modern world, one that takes its time detailing the changes to come and packs a powerful emotional punch as it does so.
Hamaguchi may not be a director for everyone - he loves to sit with his characters and their surroundings, and takes great pleasure in the importance of the mundane - and Evil Does Not Exist may not sway his skeptics, but for anyone attuned to his style, it will surely work a treat.