📝 Synopsis
Overview
Kinds of Kindness is a 2024 triptych film from the singular and unsettling mind of director Yorgos Lanthimos. Reuniting with his Poor Things star Emma Stone and featuring a powerhouse performance from Jesse Plemons, the film marks a return to the more abstract, darkly comedic, and psychologically brutal terrain of Lanthimos's earlier works like The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Lobster. Described as a collection of three distinct stories, it explores themes of power, control, love, and the grotesque lengths people will go to in search of meaning or connection. With genres listed as Comedy, Drama, and Horror, the film precisely delivers on that paradoxical blend, crafting an experience that is by turns hilarious, deeply uncomfortable, and profoundly eerie.
Plot Synopsis (NO SPOILERS)
The film is structured as three self-contained narratives, loosely connected by thematic threads and the re-appearance of the core cast in different roles. There is no overarching plot that links the stories chronologically or through shared events; instead, they function as variations on a disturbing symphony conducted by Lanthimos.
The first story follows a man, Robert (Jesse Plemons), who is trapped in an intensely subservient relationship with his enigmatic boss, Raymond (Willem Dafoe). Robert's life—from his diet to his wife's clothing—is meticulously controlled. When Raymond presents a new, morally reprehensible demand, Robert is forced to confront the limits of his obedience and the price of his gilded cage.
The second tale centers on Daniel (also Jesse Plemons), a policeman whose wife, Liz (Emma Stone), returns home after being missing and presumed dead. While Daniel is initially overjoyed, he becomes increasingly convinced that the woman who returned is not his wife. This story spirals into a paranoid thriller, examining identity, possession, and the terrifying possibility that those closest to us can become unrecognizable strangers.
The third narrative introduces us to Emily (Emma Stone) and Andrew (Jesse Plemons), two members of a bizarre cult seeking a spiritual leader with the power to raise the dead. Their quest is driven by a specific, desperate need, and their devotion to their beliefs leads them to perform increasingly extreme and ritualistic acts in hopes of achieving a miracle.
Each segment operates with its own internal, twisted logic, presenting characters who are desperately seeking something—freedom, certainty, transcendence—through frameworks of absolute control, doubt, and fanaticism.
Cast and Characters
The film is a staggering showcase for its two lead actors, who each take on multiple, radically different roles across the triptych. Jesse Plemons delivers a career-best performance, anchoring the film with a chilling, deadpan intensity. As Robert, he embodies hollowed-out submission; as Daniel, he portrays a crumbling, obsessive paranoia; and as Andrew, he captures a zealous, cultish fervor. His ability to convey profound, often disturbing emotion through a largely flat affect is masterful.
Emma Stone, in her third collaboration with Lanthimos, continues to prove there is no actor-director synergy more creatively daring in contemporary cinema. She plays three women—a controlled wife, a possibly-imposter spouse, and a determined cult seeker—each trapped in a different kind of psychological labyrinth. Stone fearlessly leans into the absurdity, horror, and pathos of her roles, showcasing a breathtaking range that is both technically precise and wildly unpredictable. The supporting cast, including Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, and Mamoudou Athie, provide essential, off-kilter energy, each perfectly attuned to Lanthimos's unique wavelength.
Director and Style
Yorgos Lanthimos is in full command of his distinctive aesthetic here, stripping away the ornate, fantastical production design of Poor Things for a more stark, modern, and clinical look that recalls The Killing of a Sacred Deer. The cinematography is cool and detached, often framing characters in wide shots that emphasize their isolation or in uncomfortably tight close-ups. The signature Lanthimos dialogue—stilted, formal, and delivered with an eerie lack of affect—is present and potent, creating a world where human interaction feels like a poorly understood ritual.
The score, often featuring jarring, discordant classical music or sudden silences, is a character in itself, amplifying the tension and absurdity. Lanthimos employs his trademark blend of deadpan comedy and body horror, finding humor in the most bleak scenarios and visceral discomfort in seemingly mundane actions. The pacing is deliberate, forcing the audience to sit with the unease. This is not a film that explains itself; it presents its bizarre scenarios with unwavering conviction, demanding that the viewer piece together its thematic and emotional logic.
Themes and Impact
Kinds of Kindness is a deep, murky dive into the human need for control and the violence—both emotional and physical—that underpins many forms of love and devotion. Each story examines a different power dynamic: employer/employee, husband/wife, spiritual leader/acolyte. The film asks what we are willing to sacrifice, inflict, or endure in the name of connection, security, or faith. The "kindness" of the title is deeply ironic, reframing acts of submission, obsession, and fanaticism as perverse forms of care or necessity.
The impact of the film is cumulative and haunting. It works less as a traditional narrative and more as a series of psychological provocations. Viewers may find themselves unsettled for days, turning over its images and implications. The 6.4/10 rating suggests a divisive reception, which is typical for Lanthimos's work; his films deliberately reject conventional emotional catharsis, favoring a more ambiguous, challenging, and often cold engagement. This is a movie designed to provoke debate, discomfort, and deep analysis rather than straightforward enjoyment.
Why Watch
Watch Kinds of Kindness if you are a fan of auteur-driven cinema that challenges and provokes. It is essential viewing for admirers of Yorgos Lanthimos's earlier, more abrasive work, offering a potent reminder of his unique ability to dissect social and relational constructs with a surgical, merciless blade. The performances alone are worth the price of admission, with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons delivering some of the most daring and memorable work of their careers.
This is a film for those who appreciate absurdist comedy that borders on horror, and for audiences who don't need neat resolutions but rather rich, unsettling ideas to ponder. It's a cinematic puzzle box filled with dark reflections on autonomy, desire, and the strange, sometimes cruel, "kinds of kindness" we offer and accept. Approach it with an open mind, a strong stomach, and a willingness to be perplexed, and you will find a film that is, in its own bizarre way, unforgettable.