Kinds of Kindness 2024

Kinds of Kindness is a black comedy-drama anthology film set to release in 2024, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos with a screenplay he co-authored alongside Efthimis Filippou. The cast includes Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, and Mamoudou Athie, each portraying three different roles, alongside Hunter Schafer in a supporting position.

The film premiered globally at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2024, where Plemons received the Best Actor accolade. It was distributed in theaters across the United States by Searchlight Pictures on June 21, 2024, and later in Ireland and the United Kingdom on June 28, 2024. The film garnered mostly favorable critiques from reviewers and earned a total of $16 million globally.

Kinds of Kindness

Kinds of Kindness unfolds in three vignettes, and I was completely captivated by each one. This isn’t surprising, considering the impressive ensemble cast. Every performance has the power to enchant the audience. Throughout the anthology, although the whole cast participates in each story in various roles, one character stays consistent: R. M. F. (Yorgos Stefanakos).

” The Death of R.M.F.”

Robert Fletcher adheres to every directive from his overbearing boss and romantic partner, Raymond. Raymond dictates numerous facets of Robert’s existence, such as arranging for him to be with his wife Sarah, purchasing their home and vehicle, and controlling their intimate encounters. One day, Raymond commands Robert to crash his vehicle to kill a man identified only by the initials “R.M.F.” They emerge from the incident with slight injuries.

When Raymond orders him to attempt again, Robert expresses his trepidation and unwillingness to comply, yet Raymond remains firm. Robert declines once more, which provokes Raymond to terminate his employment, declaring Robert is “free now.” As a result, Robert’s life begins to unravel. A beloved smashed John McEnroe tennis racquet, a gift from Raymond, is removed from his residence.

In a moment of despair, Robert reveals to Sarah that Raymond had financially compensated doctors to provide abortifacients disguised as miscarriages and other ovarian problems; Sarah then leaves him, quitting her job and vanishing. In his desperation, Robert begs Raymond for another opportunity but is met with harsh rejection. While attempting to win back Raymond’s approval, Robert encounters Rita, another individual whose life is similarly controlled by Raymond.

After Rita is instructed to crash her vehicle to eliminate R.M.F., she ends up hospitalized with R.M.F. in a grave state. In a final act of desperation, Robert kidnaps R.M.F., leaving him at the hospital’s valet area and repeatedly running him over with his car until he is dead. Robert then arrives at Raymond’s estate, where he embraces both Raymond and his live-in lover, Vivian, on the couch. Raymond remarks that he always knew Robert would not let him down.

“R.M.F. Is Flying”

Officer Daniel is grieving the disappearance of his wife Liz, a marine biologist who went missing at sea, when he learns she has been located in a helicopter flown by R.M.F. Liz unexpectedly returns unharmed to Daniel, yet several aspects about her seem odd; her actions and preferences are completely different from what they used to be, their pet cat shows hostility towards her, and her feet no longer fit in her shoes, causing Daniel to feel uneasy about her. Amidst his growing distrust regarding Liz, she informs Daniel of her pregnancy.

He instructs her to depart and threatens to arrest her if she does not comply. Daniel’s anxiety increases during a traffic stop, causing him to behave erratically, shoot a passenger in the hand, and then lick the injury. Consequently, he faces suspension from his police duties and is given antipsychotic medication. Liz shares with her father a dream from the night before, where dogs were the ruling species and kept humans like her as pets, feeding them chocolate, a treat she used to dislike but consumed because there was an abundance of it.

She reflects that it’s preferable to depend on something that is reliably present rather than on something that diminishes daily. Remaining at home and still uncertain of Liz’s true self, Daniel begins to starve and subsequently commands Liz to harm herself in various fashions. Initially, he requests one of her fingers or thumb for consumption, and so she cuts off her thumb and presents it to him. Daniel then informs his doctor that Liz harmed herself willingly and accuses her of hitting herself in the stomach and face.

During a visit to the gynecologist, it is discovered that Liz has had a miscarriage, and she insists that Daniel struck her after she spoke back, attributing this to the effects of the antipsychotics. Later, Daniel requests more food and suggests her liver. Liz assents, removes her liver, and dies. Another version of Liz appears at Daniel’s doorstep, and they joyfully embrace. As the credits roll, clips of dogs living in human-like settings are displayed.

“R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich”

Emily and Andrew are part of a sex cult overseen by the mysterious Omi and Aka. The cult’s cleansing ritual requires members to sweat out “toxins” in a hot sauna if they are accused of cheating on Omi or Aka, with Aka tasting the sweat from their belly button to check for purity. Emily and Andrew seek a specific woman who has the power to bring the dead back to life. They evaluate a potential candidate named Anna, but they find her lacking.

Emily secretly visits her estranged husband, Joseph, and their daughter. At their center, Omi informs Emily and Andrew about another possible candidate, but they learn that she is already deceased. Emily is convinced that the woman they seek appeared to her in a dream. While dining at a restaurant, a woman named Rebecca, who looks like the woman from Emily’s dream, approaches them and claims familiarity with them. She suggests that her twin sister, Ruth, could be an excellent candidate.

Andrew dismisses this, stating that one of the requirements that the candidate’s twin must be dead has not been satisfied. While visiting her former residence, Emily encounters Joseph and their child as she is about to leave, and Joseph encourages her to come by again. She accepts the invitation, but Joseph takes advantage of her by drugging her drinks and assaulting her while she is incapacitated. The following morning, Omi, Aka, and Andrew arrive at Emily’s previous home and take her for “testing.”

She is dismissed from the cult after being deemed “contaminated.” In an effort to rejoin the cult, she makes the decision to meet Ruth. Before departing, she stops by to see Rebecca, who had previously called to inform her that she could fulfill one of the requirements. During Emily’s visit, Rebecca takes her own life by jumping into an empty swimming pool, thus fulfilling the prophecy.

After stopping by Ruth’s veterinary clinic and observing a dog undergoing a miraculous recovery during her examination, Emily knocks Ruth unconscious and transports her to the morgue, insisting that Ruth resurrect R.M.F.’s body. Ruth successfully accomplishes this, and Emily celebrates by dancing outside her vehicle. In her haste to reach the cult’s headquarters, Emily becomes sidetracked and crashes the car, resulting in Ruth’s death.