I have only walked out on one other film in my life. It was warranted then and warranted when I walked out on Kinds of Kindness. I enjoyed Yorgos Lanthimos's previous film, Poor Things, also starring Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe. In my opinion, that film is a shining star in his filmography. Before that, I found most of his work to be beautiful and intriguing in premise but ultimately very dull. Kinds of Kindness is not just dull but completely boring with no real intrigue.
The movie is divided into three separate stories, all revolving around the initials 'R.M.F', which are used by many of the cast playing multiple characters. This narrative structure, intended to interweave various tales of absurd kindness and humanity, fails to deliver a cohesive or engaging storyline. The disjointed nature of these stories makes it difficult to form any emotional connection or investment in the characters' journeys.
Although I found all of the characters in this film just as boring as the movie overall, the ensemble cast does their best to bring distinctiveness to their roles. Each character played by the talented actors has their own nuances, highlighting their skill despite the weak material.
The biggest credit goes to the location scouts and art departments for providing beautiful scenery to an otherwise mundane movie. The visual composition of the film is stunning, with carefully chosen settings that enhance the aesthetic appeal.
I did return to finish the film a couple of days later so I could properly review it. Unfortunately, this did not change my initial impression. The film remained an exercise in tedium, with no scenes or moments that redeemed its slow pace and uninspired plot. Even the most beautifully shot scenes couldn’t hold my interest for long. The disjointed narrative and the lack of engaging content made it a struggle to sit through the entire film.