Following the critical hit, Poor Things starring Emma Stone, Margaret Qualley and Willem Dafoe, director Yorgos Lanthimos brought yet another masterful pic— Kinds of Kindness. With the first look and teaser of the movie Kinds of Kindness seemed to be an inherent bizarre flick from the acclaimed director; who also has the 2009 horror masterpiece Dogtooth, the 2015 sci-fi comedy The Lobster, and of course, the 2017 A24 horror drama, The Killing of a Sacred Deer— all of them complex and bizarre movies with Lanthimos own signature trait. Kinds of Kindness made an astonishing Rotten Tomatoes debut with a 100% score and now stands at 95% when this article got published.
Kinds of Kindness— Yorgos Lanthimos’ Recent Masterpiece With 3 Unique Stories
Willem Dafoe, Jesse Plemons, and Margaret Qualley in Kinds of Kindness (2024). Image Credit: Searchlight Pictures
Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness follows three separate stories with the same actors but the director had an idea to omit potential confusion. In a chat with Deadline Studio ahead of the Cannes premiere of the movie, Lanthimos revealed details of his project and collaboration with The Favourite writer Efthimis Filippou. “We told each other, should we try a different structure for a film?” Lanthimos said.
He “thought about making an anthology,” the director said adding, “and actually in the beginning, you were supposed to follow the three stories in parallel, but then I had this idea of the same actors playing different characters in the different stories, but that would have been very confusing.”
Lanthimos had this idea to separate the three stories, “and we decided to see how it would work if we separated the stories, and actually they became even stronger.”
Emma Stone and Joe Alwyn in Kinds of Kindness (2024). Image Credit: Searchlight Pictures
Speaking of the crux of the stylistic craft of the movie, the director said that Kinds of Kindness is like “three short stories, basically.” But the movie will certainly tickle your bones.
“So just by its nature there’s not so much information for the characters or their backstory. Apart from the fact that I like that anyway, to throw people into a world, into certain situations, and to try and figure that out, I find it more engaging.”
Kinds of Kindness proved to be another Lanthimos’ masterpiece. The movie stars Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie, and Hunter Schafer.
Kinds of Kindness Certified Fresh At Rotten Tomatoes
Emma Stone in Kinds of Kindness (2024). Image Credit: Searchlight Pictures
Kinds of Kindness made Rotten Tomatoes debut with an astounding 100% score with 6 reviews and as of writing this piece, the movie stands at, still stunning, 95% score. Here are some top reviews from critics.
“Kinds of Kindness feels heavier and longer than I expected, as if reaching for a meaningful resolution that might not be there. Yet absence and loss is perhaps the whole point.” — Peter Bradshaw, Guardian.
“Kinds of Kindness sees Lanthimos reconnecting with screenwriter Efthymis Filippou… This new film sees the pair working in a new, more-sophisticated and coruscating register than ever before.” — David Jenkins, Little White Lies.
“There’s no kindness, in other words, in Kinds of Kindness. But that’s fine too, and probably all part of the brilliant, bravura joke.” — Kevin Maher, Times (UK).
“This long, scaldingly original film enthralls even as it frustrates, defying conventional logic while presenting an absurdist riff on modern society. It’s never boring, and yet, Lanthimos’ outré sensibility demands a special brand of patience.” — Peter Debruge, Variety.
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“Those hoping for some sense of grand meaning — or, really, any kind of explanation of what’s going on — are denied. Kinds of Kindness is clever and a bit snide, a curio cabinet not designed for beauty.” — Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair.
“It may not be as thematically cohesive on a first watch as some audiences will wish for, but the longer you mull it over the more the pieces of the puzzle begin to fit and the common threads start to emerge.” — David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter.
Kinds of Kindness, a triptych fable with absolute absurdity has been a treat for critics. The movie is yet to roll out for the global audience and with almost certainty it’s fair to assume that the movie will definitely hit hard. Also, considering Lanthimos’ signature trait, the movie will not be an easy watch for the faint-hearted.
What’s Kinds of Kindness About?
Lanthimos’ absurdist anthology, as the early reviews suggest, is titillating. Although the teaser has not revealed much about the narratives in the film, the official logline may quench your thirst.
“A man seeks to break free from his predetermined path, a cop questions his wife’s demeanor after her return from a supposed drowning, and a woman searches for an extraordinary individual prophesied to become a renowned spiritual guide,” the synopsis of the movie reads.
Stone plays three different characters Rita, Liz, and Emily similar to the other central characters including Dafoe and Plemons.
Kinds of Kindness is slated for June 21, 2024 release.
