“Kinds of Kindness” marks a significant divergence for surrealist director Yorgos Lanthimos, challenging any attempt at a unified theory of his oeuvre. The film, arriving shortly after his acclaimed works like “The Favourite” and “Poor Things,” establishes two distinct tracks in his career, reminiscent of his earlier, darker films such as “Dogtooth” and “The Lobster.”
This anthology of three interconnected stories, totaling 164 minutes, explores themes of fractured identities and unsettling moral dilemmas, unified by a recurring ensemble cast including Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, and others.
The first story, “The Death of R.M.F.,” introduces Robert, played by Plemons, a man under the control of his boss (Dafoe), whose life spirals into darkness when he attempts to break free. The second segment, “R.M.F. Is Flying,” focuses on Plemons as a police officer obsessed with the idea that his wife (Stone) is an impostor after she returns from a mysterious disappearance.
The final episode, “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich,” portrays Stone and Plemons as cultists on a mission involving resurrection and reconnection with their former lives.
These narratives defy expectations set by Lanthimos’ recent ventures, eschewing the rococo visuals and broad humor of his Oscar contenders for stark, modern settings and pitch-black humor. Each story delves into recognizable situations, injecting them with absurdity and symbolism that evoke discomfort and introspection.
The performances are deliberately peculiar yet hauntingly relatable, echoing Lanthimos’ penchant for unsettling emotional realities akin to waking nightmares.
Collaborators like composer Jerskin Fendrix and cinematographer Robbie Ryan contribute significantly to the film’s atmosphere, employing discomfiting music and austere visuals that enhance its eerie ambiance.
Filmed in and around New Orleans, the movie utilizes diverse locations to create distinct moods for each segment, from sleek modernism to seedy edgelands, complemented by striking imagery and meticulous production design.
The anthology format allows Lanthimos to explore his characters’ fractured identities and existential struggles across interconnected narratives, challenging viewers with its unhurried storytelling and enigmatic resolutions. Despite its unsettling nature, the film offers actors like Plemons and Stone a platform for transformative performances, showcasing their versatility amidst Lanthimos’ uniquely underplayed style.
“Kinds of Kindness” defies categorization, blurring the lines between genres and narrative conventions, much like its exploration of identity and reality. It marks a return to Lanthimos’ earlier thematic preoccupations while evolving his stylistic approach, prompting viewers to reconsider his entire body of work through a new, bifurcated lens.
For those unfamiliar with Lanthimos’ earlier films, the anthology serves as a jarring introduction to his distinctive brand of surrealism, simultaneously unsettling and thought-provoking.
