Searchlight Images’ Kinds of Kindness — which opens in limited release this Friday before a nationwide release on June 28 — reunites Oscar®-winner Emma Stone with director Yorgos Lanthimos for three thematically linked stories in one film.
The two have previously starred together in Academy Award®-winning films favorite And the poor, both distributed by Searchlight. Stone won Best Actress at last year’s Academy Awards the poor.
„There’s a lot of things to do, without analyzing, discussing or arguing,” Lanthimos says of working with Stone. „Now we have this experience, and we can build on it and try to go further every time we do something.”
A Triptych Fable
Kinds of Kindness A triptych fable follows a man who reluctantly tries to control his own life; A distraught policeman finds his wife, who disappeared at sea, returns and appears as a different person; And a woman was determined to find a certain person with a special ability, who should become a wonderful spiritual leader.
„One of the most exciting things about these stories is that people are finding that they mirror what’s going on in themselves,” Stone said. Kinds of Kindness.
The idea for the film took many story forms over the years and eventually evolved into an anthology.
„We started with a story, but we’re working on it, and we thought it would be interesting to make a film with a different setting than what we’ve done before,” Lanthimos co-wrote. – Produced and illustrated the film. „When we were identifying the next stories, we wanted to have a thematic thread so it all felt like it was under one umbrella.”
During the writing process, Lanthimos sent the script to Stone, who was immediately impressed with the project.
„I loved the script and how it developed into a triptych,” Stone said. „The stories are woven together in a way that’s not obvious, but uses what came before. I thought the prospect was really exciting.
There were challenges, as Lanthimos explains, especially with time constraints — but he was excited to overcome those hurdles to make the film.
„In a movie with only one story, the audience can be more actively involved because there’s room to think about what’s going on and use your own logic,” Lanthimos explained. “With composition, you bring what you thought about from the first story to the next story. It is very complex and impressive. Different people identify different themes, which is a very interesting construct.
„Weight Off Our Shoulders”
Four-time Academy Award winner for Principal Photography the poorLanthimos made progress using a lengthy post-production process Kinds of Kindness.
When edited by Lanthimos the poorProducers Kinds of Kindness We managed to overcome logistical constraints to ensure the film was shot on time and on budget.
Compared to Lanthimos’ previous films set in different time periods, the story lent itself to a less complicated production process. Kinds of Kindness Filmed on existing locations, natural light was used, and the actors wore contemporary clothing.
„Despite the other usual problems that come with filmmaking, it was a huge weight off our shoulders,” Lanthimos said of the film, as it didn’t require the creation of large sets or elaborate lighting. „It was nice to be able to go around and see places without having to think of creating things from scratch.”
„In His Own Dimension”
„Yorkos is off in his own dimension. I knew it was going to be a completely isolated, isolated experience like his films,” said Jesse Plemons, who starred in the film. „It wasn’t what I expected, in the best way.”
Plemons — won Best Actor at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival Kinds of Kindness – refers to the unique tone and sense of humor that Lanthimos’ films take.
For Stone, the humor of Lanthimos’ work is what excites her about his projects and is one of the reasons they collaborate so often.
„Part of why I feel such a deep connection to Yorgos and what he does is that nothing is straightforward,” Stone said. „Even the darkest moments have an inherent humor.”
„Sometimes you have to be ridiculous to achieve what we’re trying to achieve,” Lanthimos said.
Kinds of Kindness Written by Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou, directed by Lanthimos, and starring Stone, Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie and Hunter Schafer. The film was produced by Ed Kinney, PGA, Andrew Lowe, PGA, Yorgos Lanthimos, PGA, Kasia Maliban, PGA.
