Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone only just wrapped up their Oscar run for Poor Things, but they’re back already with Kinds of Kindness, their fourth collaboration, and the first one with a contemporary setting. This is not, however, Lanthimos’s first contemporary-set film, some of his most f-cked up work has been in contemporary settings, including Dogtooth and The Killing of a Sacred Deer.
The teaser for Kinds of Kindness dropped yesterday, and, in forty-five second increments, at least, it doesn’t LOOK f-cked up. (It probably is, though.)
The film is described as a “triptych fable”, with one narrative about a man taking control of his life; one about a man whose wife unexpectedly returns; and one about a woman looking for a spiritual leader. The film stars Stone, Willem Dafoe, Jesse Plemons, Hong Chau, Margaret Qualley (returning from Poor Things like Stone and Dafoe), Joe Alwyn (returning from The Favourite and Taylor Swift’s forthcoming album), Mamoudou Athie, and Hunter Schafer. I know these movies were not in production at the same time, but it sort of feels like Lanthimos got everyone who isn’t currently working in Ari Aster’s new film, Eddington (which has a huge ensemble cast).
This teaser kind of reminds me of Maniac, the trippy Netflix series starring Stone and Jonah Hill. I really enjoyed Maniac, I generally enjoy Emma Stone in weirdo mode, so I am curious about Kinds of Kindness, though it does feel like Lanthimos has been getting more mainstream with his brand of weirdness ever since The Favourite. I would like to see him go back to doing bonkers high concept moral thrillers like Dogtooth and Sacred Deer, but he’s found a groove and he’s going to work it for a while. Also, Kinds of Kindness is a June movie. That means it could premiere at Cannes. Emma, fresh off her second Oscar on the Croisette? Yes?
Also attached - Willem Dafoe and his wife, Giada Colagrande, in Venice, Italy yesterday.
