Yorgos Lanthimos has always made divisive films and Kinds of Kindness is no different. Here are two reviews by volunteers at the Picture House offering different takes. What did you think of the film? Let us know in the comments.

Review by Suman

Despite its optimistic title, perhaps a cruel prank on those that enjoy going to the cinema with no knowledge of the movie they are seeing, Yorgos Lanthimos returns to his sinister roots with “Kinds of Kindness”. Those that may only know Lanthimos for “Poor Things” or “The Favourite” may be taken aback, as he swaps his recent embellished aesthetics for the liminal and uneasy settings of hospitals and empty homes seen in earlier films such as “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” – nevertheless, beautifully directed, but with little to distract you from the explicit monstrosities that are to come.

“Kinds of Kindness” tells three separate stories, each depicting an individual’s blind, relentless dedication to another. Some may argue such blind devotion is far from kindness, however, once again, the aim of a Lanthimos piece is not necessarily to entertain or allow the audience to relate and empathise, but for the viewer to question the limits of the human psyche, with the bassy introduction of Eurhythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” setting the tone for the hedonistic thriller that is brewing beneath the surface.

Despite being quite the Lanthimos fan, and both the trailer and bass boosted introduction promising an enthralling watch, sadly I was rather disappointed by “Kinds of Kindness”. Lanthimos’ signature style did not do the slow-moving plot any favours, with the second act often proving to be the tipping point for many viewers. Actors that I have otherwise seen deliver exceptional performances were reduced to inanimate, emotionless planks, which did not leave me invested in story or character; instead, wondering how many yawns I had left in me before my eyelids were drawn too heavy. 

Nonetheless, I am happy to have persevered, as the final story showed the most promise. Slightly more fleshed out characters, exotic settings, and haunting rituals and tradition kept this story afloat, as actors that had given rather 2D performances thus far truly began to benefit from Lanthimos doing what he does best – creating unsettling moments in familiar settings. 

Unfortunately, as slow-moving as Lanthimos can be with great success, this simply was not one of those occasions. I was left looking forward to the grotesque and shocking scenes, simply because I knew that these were the only points I was in any way affected or entertained. 

With a few films coming up, I am left wondering which way Lanthimos will swing with his next offering.

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Review by Harry Denton

This summer will and already has come with so many blockbusters, some of which will save and some of which will spell doom for cinemas or such hyperbolic nonsense. The film I most anticipated is Yorgos Lanthimos’s latest- “Kinds of Kindness” and safe to say it did not disappoint.

Billed as a triptych fable, in English this is a collection of three wild Lanthimos stories which each feature the same cast playing different characters. An anthology can either be told one story at a time or in the style of “Cloud Atlas” where each story occurs simultaneously. As these stories don’t intertwine, the former option of allowing each story to naturally play out and have room to breathe works far better.

Many anthology films can feel like several different films just stitched together. Not this one. On paper, they may sound disparate. To briefly introduce these stories, the first follows a man trying to escape the control of his boss; the second follows a man suspecting his wife is not the same after she is rescued from a desert island and the third follows a woman searching for someone who can resurrect the dead. Those descriptions only scrape the surface of what these stories contain.

The song “Sweet Dreams” was heavily featured in the ad campaign in its trailers that gave little away but certainly gave you  a flavour of what to expect. The song only plays right at the opening here and it feels like a strong way for Lanthimos to set the stage in a song where it’s lyrics are in tune with the writing. First of all, these dreams are anything but sweet but follow a kind of dream logic in their absurdism and how they all end when something terrible occurs.

And to really establish the film’s themes- there are the lyrics:

“Some of them want to abuse you.
Some of them want to be abused”.

This is a film full of relationships which demonstrate a kind of kindness that is anything but kind. This is the core theme which pulls all these stories together as through these abusive relationships characters are often set with a task they really don’t want to do but long for validation. Their strings are being pulled but they do have some control and ability to rebel against them.

It’s disturbing subject matter makes for many suitably uncomfortable moments but the cruelty is so bizarre that it can often be darkly comedic as a result, part of which due to the return of co-writer Efthimis Filippou, who was an essential part of Lanthimos’s earlier films before “The Favourite”. That dead-pan dialogue is wonderful.

The structure of each story playing out in such a long runtime may seem exhausting but in practice is anything but with plenty of motifs through each story where in the last part, it feels like the motifs and ideas from the first two parts are all coming together giving it a great sense of momentum.

A lot of Lanthimos’s regulars return from “Poor Things” like Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley and of course, Emma Stone who thrillingly becomes more prevalent as the film progresses. New to his films are Hong Chau, Mamoudou Athie and Jesse Plemmons, who stars alongside Emma Stone. Stone is brilliant here giving some more wonderful dance moves and exploring similar themes of fighting against misogyny to “Poor Things”. Jesse Plemmons won Best Actor at Cannes for his performance and rightfully so, where so much emotion can be seen under Lanthimos’s style of monotone speaking.

The trailers could get away with basically just showing some shots of the movie because this looks stunning with such clever use of colour and lighting in each story. Make sure to see this on the biggest screen you can. The score uses pianos and choirs for such compelling dramatic effect.

“Kinds of Kindness” is a showcase of Lanthimos’s many talents as he examines abusive relationships through a surreal lens making for a film thrillingly original and a must see.