Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s follow-up to Drive My Car, the meditative nature drama Evil Does Not Exist, is anti-commercial in every conceivable way, its slow-moving narrative primed to test the patience of viewers used to films with more assertive pacing. Though it takes a while to get off the ground and reveal what it’s actually about, this Japanese-language tone poem is quietly spellbinding in its exploration of the dissidence between the natural world and the onslaught of commercial enterprise, as witnessed through the lens of a glamping company’s impending occupation of a small town. Arguably more striking as a filmic thesis than a film, Hamaguchi’s ponderous philosophical journey through wooded strolls and town hall meetings will likely bore general audiences to tears but will deservedly find its share of devotees who appreciate Hamaguchi’s nimble, unhurried art form. Eiko Ishibashi’s somber score does a lot of dramatic heavy lifting. (B-)
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