Kinds Of Kindness (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – Kinds of Kindness is a triptych fable with segments following a man without choice who tries to take control of his life; a policeman who is alarmed that his wife who was missing at sea has returned and seems to be a different person; and a woman who is determined to find a specific someone destined to become a prodigious spiritual leader.

My Take – If you’ve seen The Lobster (2015), The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), The Favourite (2018) and Poor Things (2023), you know what to expect from a Yorgos Lathimos directorial. Known for his intentional odd, quirky, and unsettling style, Lathimos is a filmmaker with a specific wavelength who is able to draw you into his world with bold and exciting stories, mostly centered on madness, control and manipulation.

Perhaps, what is most impressive about his films is how strangely they are crafted together, from the way various shots are framed to all the way down to the dialogue moment to moment. His latest too, features some of his frequent collaborators, such as Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Yorgos Stefanakos and Margaret Qualley, alongside newcomers to his oeuvre, like Jesse Plemons, Hong Chau, Mamoudou Athie and Joe Alwyn, is no different.

Bizarre in the most exciting way, everything a fan would have expected and hoped for. A 165 minute long unwieldy anthology film or triptych, as it is billed, of three somewhat connected stories that blend themes of kindness with toxicity and abuse, all bearing the hallmarks of his now known style.

All these short, sexually charged stories, beautifully shot and executed, offer an experience like no other. A self-aware, self-conscious film that doesn’t try to prove anything more than what is already well established: Yorgos Lanthimos deserves all the accolades that keep coming his way.

The first story, “The Death of R.M.F.”, follows Robert (Jesse Plemons), a man whose life is entirely controlled by his boss Raymond (Willem Dafoe), including whether he is allowed to have children with his wife Sarah (Hong Chau). But when he’s asked to murder a man and he refuses, his life starts falling apart. Forcing him to do whatever is necessary to return to the good graces of his boss and his wife Vivian (Margaret Qualley).

The second story, “R.M.F. Is Flying”, follows Daniel (Jesse Plemons), a police man, who is dealing with the disappearance of his wife Liz (Emma Stone) for some time with the help of his best-friend Neil (Mamoudou Athie) and his wife Martha (Margaret Qualley). But when she mysteriously returns, he begins to suspect that his wife has been replaced by an imposter.

The third story, “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich”, follows Emily (Emma Stone) and Andrew (Jesse Plemons), members of a sex cult led by the enigmatic Omi (Willem Dafoe) and Aka (Hong Chau), who are tasked with finding a woman who can bring back the dead. Of course, in each story the circumstances escalate and lead to unique endings.

Here, director Lanthimos reunites with his long-term creative partner and co-writer Efthimis Filippou, who has worked on all of his films with the exception of the The Favourite (2018) and Poor Things (2023), and creates something that is unapologetic in its ambiguity and oddness, something which was highlighted in those early collaborations.

All three stories are vaguely connected by one character, a man (Yorgos Stefanakos) who doesn’t have a single line and is only known by his initials, R.M.F. The connection is flimsy and probably not to be taken seriously. And each concerns a self-destructive dependency on a core institution: work, marriage, and faith.

The first story, by far the most disturbing one as it is eerily similar to the current state most people from the younger generations find themselves in. Like sacrificing the prospects of leading a normal life and having a family, all for the sake of maintaining a prestigious job and achieving financial wealth. And to keep up with everyone, most completely submit to those pursuits.

As is often the case with anthology films, this middle film is perhaps the weakest. Though there is still much to admire, it goes a little longer than necessary as it heads towards its ambiguous finish.

The third story, is probably the most accessible, both as a story and how it completes the bigger picture that is this triptych of a film. On their surfaces, these stories are more about pledges of fealty to belief systems than kindnesses, whether the beliefs in question are bought and paid for (as in the first), gut instincts that cannot be suppressed (as in the second), or some form of religion (as in the third).

Whatever the case, the stories are entertaining and darkly funny, full of the deliciously weird dialogue many we have come to love. However, as each are so engaging, it is a pity that they are not three individual, full-length films in their own right. As director Lanthimos and co-writer Filippou could have expanded any of them into a stand-alone feature and, by doing so, heightened their power and impact considerably.

Nevertheless, from a technical standpoint, the film is meticulously crafted which is not particularly surprising considering that director Lanthimos has proven time and time again that he is a remarkable filmmaker. The fact he is one of the last few remaining filmmakers who still shoot on film, is very inspiring for younger, aspiring filmmakers who unfortunately grew up in an era in which cinema was transitioning from film to digital. The film looks gorgeous and the visual aesthetic of the celluloid elevates the film’s atmosphere and other-worldliness.

Performance wise, Jesse Plemons showcases his superb versatility. His three characters swing from charming fools to serious devout. It’s not only the range that impresses, but how easily he embodies all three in such a funny and puzzling way.

Emma Stone proves yet again that she is a perfect fit for Lanthimos‘s material, inhabiting her disparate, bizarre roles with a remarkable ease. Willem Dafoe demonstrates once again why is one of the finest actors of the generation, bringing authenticity to three markedly different personalities.

The always compelling Hong Chau and Margaret Qualley showcase their considerable abilities, making his enigmatic characters all the more intriguing. Mamoudou Athie, Joe Alwyn and Hunter Schafer bring life to their smaller roles. On the whole, ‘Kinds of Kindness’ is yet another darkly funny and overwhelmingly odd Yorgos Lanthimos film that never stops entertaining.