“Kinds of Kindness” serves as director Yorgos Lanthimos’ version of a twisted “Twilight Zone”-like anthology about dysfunctional relationships set in alternate realities, with an ensemble cast led by Jesse Plemons , Emma Stone , and Willem Dafoe. Filmed on the edge of New Orleans to avoid any iconic reference to “The Big Easy,” this triptych black comedy explores the clash between authoritarian control and free will. Cut by Lanthimos’ go-to editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis, they went in sequential order and treated each part individually yet created a sense of progression by expanding the scope to encompass larger social settings.
The silent, bearded R.M.F.
(Yorgos Stefanakos) is the lone recurring character. He is a delivery man in “The Death of R.M.
F.,” a helicopter pilot in “R.M.
F. Is Flying,” and a corpse in “R.M.
F. Eats a Sandwich.” His throughline holds it all together and gives meaning to this dream-like structure with a startling revelation.
In “The Death of R.M.F.
,” Robert (Plemons) endures daily abuse under the total control of his boss, Raymond (Dafoe), in exchange for a house, a car, and his wife, Sarah (Hong Chau). Robert fights back when asked to murder a compliant R.M.
F. in a car crash, no matter how many times it takes, which results in his dismissal and total isolation. When Robert learns that he’s been replaced by Rita (Stone), he sets out to redeem himself.
In “R.M.F.
Is Flying,” policeman Daniel (Plemons) becomes distraught.