THERE IS NO EVIL: A Mesmerizing And Slow Burning Ethics Thriller

“There is No Evil.” A statement that obviously is very untrue, especially if you take a glance at the news even once a day, but this film begs the question, “from a specific warped lens, could anything be justifiable… anything at all?” It’s certainly an interesting one, and craftsman Mohammad Rasoulof holds no punches.

A Quartet of Introspection

I sat in a dark room watching my screener of this film, which looks absolutely excellent in all its realism may I add, pondering “what could this title mean?” However, it was a question that only plagued my viewing until a quarter or so into the runtime when it clicked.

As it’s a film that deals extremely heavily with morals and a general disgust towards the death penalty, something that has taken the lives of hundreds of people per year in the films’ home country of Iran, it has hefty opinions on ethics. As I see it the title There is No Evil seems to be a look at perspective. The way that all of us, as humans, view our perspective on justice and due process as correct, whether or not that affects the lives of the people around us. If each of the characters from their respective parts ever met their ideas of what is fair and just would cause bloodshed, and for the viewers at home I can almost guarantee each part of this multi-faceted drama meant something completely different than the next.

A Closer Look

While Rasoulof‘s newest project is certainly something to marvel at as a whole it obvious that each of the individual parts is meant to be experienced as their own individual pieces. The first is meant to be a tone-setter to end all tone-setters as it propels you into the slow and steady moral dilemmas you are forced to reckon with. The two central focuses of this portion are the lead performances, something you may not find in every individual part.

In the first story, one sharing the same title as the feature, we’re introduced to a tense and secluded dynamic, one so fascinating and well-executed that watching this short as its own makes for an entirely satisfying viewing experience, one that sets the tone in the most beautifully tranquil way possible. The final shot of this is really a beast and makes you reconsider everything you just saw; the hallmark of a great short. The transition into our second short is a jarring one, but it’s a necessary one.

The second, however, plays more like an inverse 12 Angry Men as we watch prisoners experience the justice they firmly believe they are entitled to, and as far as pure adrenaline filmmaking is concerned this segment is sure to make the hairs on the end of the neck stand at full attention. Never in this molasses-like thinkpiece did I expect to see something so raw and invigorating. The mix of the claustrophobic framing and pulsating music made for an experience that took me off my guard for the rest of the film.

As we transition into the second half of the film, the third story in this quartet of anomaly whiplash begins to set in. With the music from the previous scene, one of adrenaline and excitement blasting down the freeway, we step back. Back into reality; this reality being a lush and vacant countryside, allowing us to finally reflect. While the first part is certainly slower than the average American drama and the second is as riveting as anything you’d see in a Jason Bourne film, the third does have this tonal whiplash effect to it. Every aspect, included but not limited to, the central performance, tone, and visual bravado has a much softer and more sensitive spin, makes for a wholly new experience. While it feels like you’re watching a different movie its principals stay firm as it stays with the morals. Lastly, we are brought back to a more confronting and realized chapter to end our saga.

The final part of this masterful quartet, Kiss Me, deals with a final family drama that ties the entire piece together. Barring some sections of this that feel redundant, this truly sticks the landing in a way few films I’ve seen from this past year have. There is No Evil has what is possibly the most morally and ethically grey scenario of the lot, and for that, I applaud its pure audacity to ask questions few would like to answer.

Conclusion:

Mohammad Rasoulof’s There is No Evil is special in the sense that it is not only an excellent and riveting drama with a few divets holding it from perfection, it’s the fact that this work of craft hails from Iran. We’ve seen little traction with Western audiences viewing the films from this country, save for the works of Abbas Kiarostami, yet filmmakers like Rasoulof and Asghar Farhadi have brought in a new wave of excitement to worldwide audiences, and There is No Evil is just fuel for the flame.

What is your favorite Iranian film? Will you watch There is No Evil when it is released?

There Is No Evil was released in limited theaters on May 14, 2021.

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