"Really relies on what the characters do": When Evil Does Not Exist helmer broke down the 2024 drama film's highly debated ending

Japanese filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi recently spoke with the folks at Polygon about the highly debated ending of his 2023 drama film, Evil Does Not Exist. For the uninitiated, Hamaguchi is the creative voice behind Drive My Car, the multiple Oscar-nominated film that offered him much-deserved acclaim. Although dialogue-driven, the film started countless discussions, thanks to its subtextual depth and an ambiguous ending that left viewers with more questions than answers.

Evil Does Not Exist is no exception to this rule. Since its release, viewers have debated its shocking, abrupt ending and tried to understand what really happens in those final moments. So, during his conversation with Polygon, Hamaguchi explained his thoughts behind the ambiguity and multiple interpretations. He said,

“In order to be able to make this happen, I think two things are necessary. The first part is to end in this abrupt manner, almost leaving the audience behind. But that in itself, I don’t think is enough to create conversations and create different interpretations. It really relies on what the characters do up until that point.”

So, to understand his point of view, let's break down what the characters do up until that point.

A still from Evil Does Not Exist (Image via YouTube/Janus Films)

What is Evil Does Not Exist about?

Evil Does Not Exist revolves around a small Japanese village where an outsider firm hopes to start a luxury camping venture. It disrupts the natural flow of things, so the villagers point out their grievances. However, the developers focus only on how it all benefits them. They do not care how it affects the locals. So, their encroachment seemingly sets up a chain reaction that leads Takumi to strangle Takahashi in the end, just after he finds his daughter lying (presumably dead) in the field.

During the interview, Ryusuke Hamaguchi mentioned that to understand Takumi's motivations, we must look back at his actions and behavior until then. The film shows Takumi as a father, as a villager, and as a potential employee in Takahashi's venture. As a father, he isn't the most responsible. He forgets to pick up his daughter from school and is not reliable as a single father. During the town hall meeting, he reveals how the locals embraced him as one of their own after he moved there.

Later, he seemingly agrees to join Takahashi's venture even though he understands its implications for their community. So, in the end, when he sees his daughter dead, he introspects on how his decisions led to her tragic fate. So, in the heat of that moment, he strangles Takahashi to prove his allegiance to the land rather than to this outsider. He realizes that balance is key to maintaining peace and harmony. Until then, he and the locals maintained a balance with the native animals. So, the ending is likely his way to return to his roots.

That is only one of the interpretations of Takami's seemingly absurd actions in the final moments.

Here's what Ryusuke Hamaguchi says about the ending of Evil Does Not Exist

Ryusuke Hamaguchi understands that some viewers might find Takami's actions odd in those final moments. While speaking with Polygon, the director reveals how they make sense in Takami's arc.

“I think in that moment, he realizes through the failures he has had. That leads him to try to figure out desperately about what to do. That action might be read as absurd from the surroundings, or from people around him. But I think to me, this choice that he makes is something that for this particular character, could happen.”

Hamaguchi also spoke about his intention behind making Evil Does Not Exist.

“What I hope I’m achieving is that people feel that each character that appears in the film all have their own individual lives. The way they act and what we see in the film are just moments that the cameras happened to capture, of life they each live outside of the film. And once people can feel that these characters actually do exist, then when we see them do something that is not quite understandable, the audience can still feel it’s still possible that they could do these things.”

Hamaguchi welcomes different interpretations of his 2023 film since they push viewers to think more about the characters and their choices.