Since first diving into the cinematic world of Academy Award nominee Yorgos Lanthimos, his works have become some of my most anticipated. His unique flair and style continue to elevate him as one of cinema’s most exciting directors. Since the 2015 New York Film Festival, when I first saw The Lobster, Lanthimos has consistently impressed. He continually tests boundaries while successfully creating a cinematic world worthy of the praise, excitement, and awards that come his way.
2023 was no different. The NYFF23 selection, Poor Things, continued Lanthimos’ success with a whimsical and inventive creation that stands as his best film yet. With its ambitious tale of sex, bolts, second chances, and liberation, the film became one of the year’s most beloved, led by impeccable direction and an all-timer Oscar-winning performance from Emma Stone.
Less than 12 months after the premiere of Poor Things, Lanthimos and Stone are collaborating again on an anthology film sure to stir up discussion. With Kinds of Kindness, the Yorgos hive can rejoice as the film returns Lanthimos to the era of Dogtooth, The Lobster, and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. A visceral and absurdist anthology channeling the aura of The Twilight Zone, Kinds of Kindness is what sweet dreams are made of.
Kinds of Kindness is structured as a series of three stories. The first, “The Death of R.M.F.,” follows Robert, who struggles to take charge of his own life and is dependent on receiving the approval of Raymond. The second, “R.M.F. is Flying,” follows Daniel, a man who suspects that his wife, recently returned after being reported missing, is not who she says she is. The final segment, “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich,” follows Emily as she deals with the aftermath of being kicked out of a cult for being “contaminated” while searching for a unique individual with the ability to resurrect the dead.
Written by both Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou, Kinds of Kindness‘s screenplay is infused with their trademark sharp, occasionally unhinged, but always meaningful dialogue, leading to a complex and thought-provoking cinematic experience. While anthologies have always been difficult for me to fully engage with, Kinds of Kindness offers such a fun and kinetic energy that it becomes difficult not to fully embrace the vision at hand.
The film’s ensemble absolutely rocks! It’s no surprise that two-time Academy Award winner Emma Stone is an utter delight, continuing to shine anytime she collaborates with Yorgos. Academy Award nominee Jesse Plemons steals the film with three uniquely different but effective characters, highlighting his incredible range as one of Hollywood’s best.
Along with Stone and Plemons, Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley are having the time of their lives, each given their moments to shine, even if they are more supporting than front and center. It’s impossible not to mention Mamoudou Athie when discussing this ensemble, as Athie, Qualley, Plemons, and Stone share one of the wildest sequences of 2024 involving a home movie.
At 164 minutes, Kinds of Kindness does suffer from runtime issues. Despite the screenplay and magnetic performances keeping cinephiles engaged, it’s hard to ignore that the first story is undoubtedly the best, with the remaining two fighting for second place and feeling thin in comparison to the depth given to the first.
With his last two films, Yorgos has been deep in the awards chatter all season long. With Kinds of Kindness, that streak may be coming to an end, as the Academy may not fully vibe with the film’s weird and eccentric nature. If the Academy chooses to go for this film, it will confirm they are fully in the bag for Yorgos, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Kinds of Kindness may be an acquired taste, but it’s a darkly humorous romp that will stand as one of 2024’s most memorable cinematic experiences. Whether that memory is good or bad is in the eyes of the beholder, but for me, it continues to add excitement anytime the name “directed by Yorgos Lanthimos” appears on the screen.
