Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
A man is trying to take back control of his life.
A missing woman comes home and might not be herself.
Members of a cult are searching for a spiritual healer.
Those three loglines make up Co-Writer/Director Yorgos Lanthimos’ triptych Anthology fable KINDS OF KINDNESS. They loosely connect based on themes and the appearance of one character, but upon first glance, do not really have anything to do with one another. Each story stars the same stable of Actors including Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Mamoudou Athie and Joe Alwyn, albeit in extremely different roles each time.
This is where I need to break to give a fair warning. If you consider yourself a fan of Lanthimos’ Oscar-winning pictures The Favourite and Poor Things, but have not ventured into any of his prior work like The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer or his earlier films like Dogtooth and Alps, then you may want to check some of them out before venturing into KINDS OF KINDNESS. Why might this be in your best interest? Well, because this Film feels a lot closer in style and humour to those films versus his newer output. In all honesty, KINDS OF KINDNESS is not really made for a mainstream audience so much as it is for that niche group of sickos who love Lanthimos’ distinct brand of perverse and cruel satire. And at a running time of two hours and forty-four minutes, the unforgiving tone of this Picture is one you need to immediately get on board with.
If that does not sound like your idea of a fun Friday night at the movies, then you should skip KINDS OF KINDNESS and send an email thanking me for saving you money on your inevitable therapy bills.
If this does sound like fun however, then buckle up because once the opening logos begin and Eurythmics’ immortal “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” starts exploding out of the speakers, the Film kicks into overdrive and does not stop.
To say Lanthimos is an eclectic, unique Filmmaker is an understatement. KINDS OF KINDNESS is the work of a certified mad genius, using the good will and critical acclaim of his last two pictures to create a singular otherworldly work that is just as strange as it is genuinely fucking bonkers. No word of a lie, I was unsure whether I should be laughing, crying or running away screaming as this triptych played out. Lanthimos and frequent Co-Writing partner Efthymis Filippou infuse every character with stilted and alien-like dialogue and qualities, often leading them to say and do the most outrageously deadpan things you can (and cannot) think of. They hone-in on the most cryptic and awkward moments, and then dial up the tension to unbearable levels of cringe humour and tragedy. They revel in elements that most would consider bad taste and then double-down on top of them in increasingly more deranged ways.
Suffice it to say, Lanthimos’ concoction is a daring and often challenging watch. It will test your patience and resolve, and is not something everyone is going to love and vibe with at all times. Thankfully, the Cast and Crew he has put together, trust their Captain, and commit without question to every fragment of insanity he asks of them. Each member of the Cast gets multiple moments to shine, with many delivering some of their best (or amongst their best) work to date. Editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis and Cinematographer Robbie Ryan (both Lanthimos regulars) deliver stunningly realized work, and Jerskin Fendrix’s unsettling, unrelenting Score is a thing of beauty. Everyone brings their A-game and there is no weak link among them.
I am still in disbelief over what Lanthimos has created in KINDS OF KINDNESS. It is a one-of-a-kind vision that is equal parts hilarious and disturbing, and is easily going to go down as one of the most outrageous films of the year. As I already suggested though, being into his sick and twisted style is a prerequisite to enjoying and appreciating KINDS OF KINDNESS. I did not like all of the elements at play, but I admire the audacity with which he portrays all of it – even if the Film might have scarred me emotionally with some of the wild things that happen.
Searchlight Pictures Canada release KINDS OF KINDNESS in theatres starting Friday, June 28, 2024.
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