Just a year after the release of “Poor Things,” Yorgos Lanthimos is back with his newest film, “Kinds of Kindness.” The film has a stellar cast including Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley, who deliver performances both captivating and deeply unsettling. This 2024 anthology film plunges us into the murky waters of human connection, exploring the twisted desires beneath the surface of kindness.
A Stellar Cast Delivering Unsettling Performances
The first act throws us headfirst into the bizarre world of Robert Fletcher (Plemons), a man whose life is meticulously controlled by Raymond (Dafoe). Raymond, a seemingly ordinary businessman, dictates every aspect of Robert’s life reminding us of the power dynamics at play and the desperate human need for control. The humor here is dark and dry, the situations absurd, yet the undercurrent of unease is undeniable. This opening segment has strong themes of control and rebellion, setting the unnerving tone of the rest of the film.
The second act follows Stone’s character and her husband (Plemons again.) The segment shows us the complexity of human relationships and trust, giving the audience the idea that we may not truly know the people closest to us.
The final chapter features Qualley. This concluding act leaves the audience pondering the very definition of kindness and its potential for manipulation.
Control, Trust and Manipulation
Lanthimos’ films often thrive with their deadpan humor, illogical situations and constant sense of disquietude. He doesn’t shy away from portraying the darker aspects of human behavior, leaving the audience squirming while simultaneously glued to the screen.
The brilliance of “Kinds of Kindness” lies in its ambiguity. Lanthimos offers no easy answers or comforting resolutions. Instead, he raises questions about the nature of control, the masks we wear in relationships and the lengths we go to for human connection. He doesn’t give the audience a conclusion; he simply just makes us think. These types of films are rewarding, but they aren’t for everyone.
A Film that Lingers
The film is, honestly, aggressively off-putting. This was my first Lanthimos film and I truly had no idea what to expect going into it – even now, I’m not quite sure what else to say. I do think the film drew a lot of comparisons to real life, the absurdity and cruelty of it. How human relationships are way more complex than what is at the surface and how we often overlook that.
“Kinds of Kindness” is a film that lingers. You leave the theater with more questions than answers, dissecting scenes and dialogue in your head for days afterward. Lanthimos makes us think. He forces us to confront the uncomfortable truths about ourselves and the world around us, even if it makes us squirm in our seats.
However, “Kinds of Kindness” isn’t for the faint of heart. The unrelenting strangeness and lack of clear resolution can be frustrating for some viewers. If you’re looking for a feel-good escape or a film that ties everything up in a neat bow, this isn’t it. But for those looking for a film that will challenge your perceptions and stay with you long after the credits roll, “Kinds of Kindness” is a must-see. It’s a movie that will stick to you like glue, a dark and unsettling mirror reflecting the complexities of life itself.
