Kinds of Kindness Plot Summary
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and co-written with his frequent collaborator Efthymis Filippou, Kinds of Kindness is a trilogy of stories starring recurring actors. In the first, Jesse Plemons is a man whose life is completely controlled by his boss (Willem Dafoe). In the second, Plemons suspects that his wife (Emma Stone), who returns home after going missing at sea, is not really his wife at all. In the third, Stone is part of a cult that’s on the search for their chosen one.
The Death of R.M.F.
In “The Death of R.M.F,” every aspect of Robert’s life is controlled by his boss, Raymond–from what he eats, to when he has sex, and even whether he can have children. But when Raymond orders him to crash his vehicle into another willing driver, Robert decides things have gone too far. Raymond fires him for not complying but makes Robert’s life apart from him too difficult, leaving the employee desperate for his job back.
This story ends with Robert killing the original driver, R.M.F., to get back into Raymond’s good graces.
R.M.F. is Flying
In “R.M.F. is Flying,” Police officer Daniel’s wife Liz has gone missing after a marine biology expedition at sea. When Liz is found, Daniel doubts she’s truly his wife. Several things don’t add up, like her shoes not fitting and her sudden love of chocolate.
But even stranger is Daniel’s new behavior. While on duty, he shoots a passenger in the hand and is then driven to lick the wound he created. This rabid, animal-like behavior disturbs Liz’s father, who tries to get his daughter to leave Daniel. Liz then tells him about a dream she had while she was stranded at sea in which dogs kept humans as pets. They would rarely let Liz eat lamb, but they would daily provide her with chocolate, which she dislikes. From this, she learned that it’s better to rely on something dependable than something that runs out early.
Liz’s logic backfires, however. Daniel is not the dependable chocolate; he’s more like a dog treating her as a pet–creating her wounds only so he can lick them. And by not holding out for something better than life with Daniel, Liz meets her death. When Daniel orders her to first cut off her finger, then carve out her liver for him, she complies–ultimately killing herself by his command.
When she dies, another Liz appears to embrace Daniel. While this could confirm Daniel’s suspicion that the dead Liz was never truly his wife, it’s more likely (based on the cop’s erratic behavior) that this new Liz is a hallucination. Daniel is creating his own reality, and world around him is letting it happen because of his position of power.
R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich
In “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich,” Emily is estranged from her husband and daughter due to her involvement in a cult. She and Andrew, another cult member, search for a woman with prophesied supernatural healing powers.
Emily believes she’s found the right woman in Ruth. But she’s kicked out of the cult by leaders Omi and Aka because she’s seen as contaminated after her husband drugs and rapes her. She continues her search, however, and rejoices when Ruth brings a dead man (R.M.F.) back to life. Emily kidnaps Ruth to bring her to Omi and Aka. But she crashes her car on the way, and Ruth dies.
A mid-credits scene shows R.M.F. alive and well, eating a sandwich and staining his shirt with ketchup.
How are the three stories connected?
These stories are most outrightly connected by the titular character of R.M.F (played by Yorgos Stefanakos), as well as the recurring actors and props.
But on a deeper level, the stories share themes of power and submission. Each installment highlights power dynamics at play in institutions of work, marriage, or faith, and sheds light on the human tendency to conflate power with kindness.
What did you think about Kinds of Kindness? What was your favorite story? Let us know in the comments below.
Read More: Kinds of Kindness Movie Review
RMF stands for Random Mother Fucker. The first chapter is a relationship between a child and his parents, the second is a relationship after marriage, the third one is obviously a sectarian relationship to god. The three chapters correspond to the three classic kinds of kindness: Philia, Eros and Agape (greek words). Apparently the movie could have been titled “And”. This word stands for the different kinds of relations. Me and my parents, me and my wife, me and god. They are all represented in a modern toxic version. The movie is misleading on purpose, so that you are first horrified and then you realize it’s your life.