‘Kinds of Kindness’- Film Review | A Frustrating Anthology From Yorgos Lanthimos

For those who are massive Yorgos Lanthimos fans didn’t have to wait long for his next project to hit theaters and weird its audience out. After Poor Things was among one of last year’s best and became an Oscars favorite with four wins, including Best Actress for Emma Stone, it was uncertain where he’d go with his latest absurdist film, Kinds of Kindness. It’s the kind of film that I knew had a stacked cast and it was a rare studio release to follow an anthology narrative, a unique storytelling approach that immediately piqued my interest. But I did not know much else about it besides watching the first trailer. All I know for sure is it’s going to appeal more to the Greek filmmaker’s liking and less to those who recently enjoyed his mainstream successes in The Favourite and Poor Things, like me. To Kinds of Kindness‘s credit, it takes full advantage of being as original as it can get, even if the results are rather frustrating to get behind.

What’s the Story: Three separate stories are loosely tied together. The first segment, “The Death of R.M.F.,” follows Robert Fletcher (Jesse Plemons), who’s manipulated by his boss, Raymond (Willem Dafoe), to do everything in control of his life, including what’s done with his wife, Sarah (Hong Chau). In “R.M.F. is Flying,” a cop named Daniel (Plemons, also) doesn’t know how to feel about his wife Liz (Emma Stone) after she was rescued from being lost at sea. And in “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich,” Emily (Stone, also) is on the search to find a woman who can pass technique power to report back to a cult, led by Omi (Dafoe, also), she’s a part of.

Is this the one Lanthimos film you’ll understand right off the back? Of course not. Unless this is your first blood with him. Kinds of Kindness and its three stories let you know they won’t make much sense when they’re over, and it’s projecting that through a darkly comical lens that’s sometimes difficult to overcome. Anthology films are sometimes tough to handle since you’re dealing with elements that’ll probably connect, and you hope to have some kind of through-line. The last time I experienced that was in The French Dispatch by Wes Anderson and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs by the Coen brothers. Both were fine in their own right but maybe not a standout in their respective filmographies. Who else dares to crack at it than Lanthimos and co-writer Efthimis Filippou, who worked on previous films from Dogtooth to The Killing of Sacred Deer? But does it always work? Sometimes.

What always hurts these types of films is how there’s always one that stands out as the weakest and don’t feel important to remember. None of them I loved, but I got more out of the first segment more than the other two. The cool thing about them all is that the actors portray different characters, and they’re pretty unpredictable about where they will conclude. The entire time, I kept trying to come up with a certain theme they all have in common besides one person who shows up, but it can be assumed it’s about how we’re willing to do anything to please others, even if it’s completely insane that takes place in the film’s universe. They don’t leave you with answers, and as someone who only sometimes minds weird, it’s almost too much to get invested. It didn’t need to go for 165 minutes when “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich” felt the longest in the pacing, questioning what was even going on since it lost focus quickly once turned me off when it involved a dog and a sexual assault. “R.M.F. is Flying” almost grabbed me initially but became unpleasant afterward.

With these narratives, roughly 50 minutes a piece, I had this cold disconnect from the characters, whether because their actions came off as unlikable or strange based on the deadpan dialogue. It also leans heavily on the black comedy tone, even though I only laughed during an uncomfortable moment in the second story that will not leave my head. From a visual viewpoint, the third story looked the most gorgeous, thanks to Robbie Ryan’s cinematography. It was different from Lanthimous’ previous work because it did not use a fish-eyed lens.

This ensemble is the biggest he’s worked with, and they had fun expanding their range whenever they did. Stone has become the director’s muse with their third collaboration, and working with him continues to prove that this two-time Oscar Winner likes a challenge to bring nuance to her roles by getting the spotlight more in the last story. The MVP I couldn’t stop thinking about was Plemons. His presence, especially in the opening story, is unreal as a man whose life goes downhill after he does not take on a task so extraordinary because his boss asked him to. He also carries the second story, along with Stone. It’s no wonder he won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival, which first premiered there in May, and though it probably won’t happen, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him earn his second Oscar nomination. Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Chau, Memondon Athie, and Joe Alwyn equally did their best with the material. The only disappointment in the cast was Hunter Schafer since she only has a small part in “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich,” and they thought they could’ve used her more.

It’s no surprise that, based on the critics’ and audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, this will be one of the year’s most divisive films. Even hours later, when reflecting on the experience, it can be admired in some areas, but it’s just an uneven mixed bag with a hard time addressing an overall message. Despite being a disappointment, I’m still going to see his next film, the upcoming Begonia, which will reteam Stone and Plemons. I hope it’ll give off a better impression than this.

Kinds of Kindness left me cold; maybe that was Yorgos Lanthimos’ intention throughout. Unlike his previous two films, it’s a bold move to go the anthology angle. Still, it leaves behind a frustrating movie that’s certainly original but wasn’t crazy about it walking out.