Kinds Of Kindness Review : This Yorgos Lanthimos film is a deeply overindulgent disappointment

Story: This film presents three distinct stories: one follows a man trying to regain control of his life, another features a cop questioning his wife's identity, and the third involves a couple seeking a surviving twin to bring the dead back to life.

Review: ‘Kinds of Kindness’ is an esoteric film that caters to a niche audience. This film presents an absurd triptych plot where the lead actors play different roles, each story focusing on characters who strive to either control their own lives or exert dominance over others. With a runtime exceeding 160 minutes, this eccentric comedy-drama indulges in themes of cruelty, cannibalism, surrendering control, and dogmatic beliefs. While the cast delivers strong performances, the plot often veers into the bizarre. It's arguably the weakest entry in Yorgos Lanthimos' filmography, falling short of the success he achieved with Oscar winners ‘The Favourite’ and ‘Poor Things.’ Watching this film requires a particular mindset.

The film’s plot unfolds through three distinct, unrelated stories, with the same cast taking on different roles in each. The stories are titled – ‘The Death of RMF,’ ‘RMF is Flying,’ and ‘RMF Eats a Sandwich.’ The first story centers on Robert (Jesse Plemons) and his overpowering boss, Raymond (Willem Dafoe), whose control extends to dictating personal aspects of Robert’s life, including forbidding him from having children with his wife. Raymond's dominance is so extreme that when Robert requests vodka, he's served whiskey, which he accepts without protest. The second story follows Daniel (Jesse Plemons), a cop whose wife Liz (Emma Stone) vanishes during a storm while conducting maritime research. When she returns, Daniel becomes convinced that Liz is no longer his wife but an impostor. The third story centers on Andrew (Jesse Plemons) and Emily (Emma Stone), who, under the guidance of their cult leader Omi (Willem Dafoe), search for a twin who can resurrect the dead. They ‘test’ various women for their purity in hopes of finding the right one.

This film is indulgent to the extreme, and by the time it ends, there's a good chance you'll either be bored or have dozed off. Co-written with Efthymis Filippou (with whom Lanthimos previously teamed up for ‘Dogtooth’ and ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’), the magic from those collaborations is notably absent here. The three stories are completely disconnected, with the only common thread being a character named RMF. The sexual elements Lanthimos includes feel like they're there just for shock value and have no real connection to the plot, coming across as absurd. While ‘The Favourite’ and ‘Poor Things’ had their own pretentious moments, this film takes it even further. Lanthimos seems to have unleashed all his creative impulses, but the result is so baffling that it’s hard to understand what he was aiming for.

Jesse Plemons, now Martin Scorsese’s favourite, has also caught the attention of Lanthimos. He delivers an excellent performance in the roles of Robert, Daniel, and Andrew, but is ultimately let down by the direction. There are moments where his talent shines, like the scene in the first story where he begs Willem Dafoe to accept him—a truly powerful display of his acting prowess. Emma Stone once again proves herself a rare talent with an uninhibited performance, and Willem Dafoe, as always, excels in portraying three distinct characters with ease. Despite the film's flaws, the cast brings undeniable depth to their roles, keeping the audience engaged even when the story falters.

‘Kinds of Kindness’ is a provocative film filled with graphic, gory scenes that at times evoke memories of ‘Black Mirror’ episodes, minus the futuristic elements. Yorgos Lanthimos' heavy use of symbolism will likely be understood by only a select few, and with its lack of a coherent plot, the film leans towards being outright bizarre. It's clear that without its star-studded cast, this film would have struggled to gain attention at film festivals. Ultimately, ‘Kinds of Kindness’ is bizarre, esoteric, and overly self-indulgent, making it a major disappointment.