Alan in Belfast: Kinds of Kindness – Yorgos Lanthimos’ fantasy triptych where the overall effect is less than the sum of its parts

Kinds of Kindness is a comedy/fantasy triptych, with thematic connections, shared cast members, and some pretty absurb goings on. It’s the latest release from director Yorgos Lanthimos (co-written by Efthimis Filippou) and it’s a disappointment.

The Lobster was absurd and satirical. The Killing of a Sacred Deer was long and unsettling. The Favourite allowed a young Emma Stone to barge into the strong womance between characters played by Olivia Colman and Lady Sarah. Poor Things was full of extraordinary performances, an astonishing piece of world-building that sought to be liberating but raised questions about male control, gaze and abuse.

Kinds of Kindness is simpler and much less over the top.

In part one, Robert Fletcher (Jesse Plemons) is given precise instructions by his boss (Willem Dafoe) to direct his day. Robert follows every order bar one to violently crash into a car and kill its driver. The full extent of the spider’s web of coercive control is revealed. The busted tennis racquet prop is exquisite. The ending of this section is violent but terribly satisfying. The opening track –Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics – is very well chosen: “… / Everybody's lookin' for something / Some of them want to use you / Some of them want to get used by you / Some of them want to abuse you / Some of them want to be abused / …”

The second story picks up a recurring ideas of hurt limbs, weight and food, and copious quantities of controlling behaviour. A missing woman (Emma Stone) returns home but she’s not the woman her husband (Jesse Plemons) remembered. Despite the conclusion, it’s a thumbs down from me.

The final part – by far the longest –imagines a couple of cult members (Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons) on a mission to find a woman with healing powers that can resurrect the dead. The cult leader, Omi (Willem Dafoe) is incredibly creepy. Margaret Qualley is great playing twin sisters Ruth and Rebecca. There’s an extreme close-up of snogging which would make a great video art exhibition. And Emma Stone’s final dance is nearly worth the ticket price alone.

Weaving the themes together and reusing the same cast is clever. But the overall effect is less than the sum of its parts. Jesse Plemons shows off his versatility. Emma Stone is an intriguing presence on screen. But there’s too much thinking and not enough entertainment.

Kinds of Kindness is being screened in Queen’s Film Theatre, Odeon, Cineworld and some Movie House and Omniplex cinemas.