Emma Stone’s Latest Film ‘Kinds of Kindness’ Scraps 7 Deeply Disturbing Stories From the Script That Will Never See the Light of Day
Award-winning filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos is all set to bring his dark humor to his upcoming film, Kinds of Kindness. Starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Willem Dafoe, the movie consists of three interconnected stories. It explores major themes such as identity, power struggles, and relationships.
However, the film underwent some changes. Originally, co-writers Efthimis Filippou and Lanthimos had ten stories in the script, but according to reports, some were deemed too dark for audiences. Therefore, they narrowed them down to three for the final version.
Yorgos Lanthimos Dropped Seven Disturbing Stories from Kinds of Kindness
Yorgos Lanthimos‘ Kinds of Kindness isn’t for everyone. The film tackles tough subjects with scenes of violence, s*xual assault, and even some disturbing body imagery. But the team insisted they are not just trying to shock viewers with it. The Greek director told Indie Wire that he and his co-writer are simply interested in exploring the dark side of human nature. He stated:
We don’t write thinking about the effect it has on our audience. We just see how it feels to us, and what’s instinctive on our side, and what feels right, and what we both feel comfortable. We don’t know how people are going to react. There are so many different people and experiences and cultures, and we allow that.
The 50-year-old also shared that he and his team don’t plan their films in a strictly analytical way. They don’t start with a specific theme in mind. Instead, they chose the stories for Kinds of Kindness because they felt like they belonged together in the same world (even before fully developing them).
Themes such as faith or control might naturally appear as they are created, but they don’t start with those ideas in mind. Even by the end of the film, they don’t necessarily think about the themes. For them, it’s all about the creative journey rather than a calculated approach.
As already mentioned the film had ten stories in total. But, these stories were probably too dark and disturbing for audiences. So, to make the film more balanced and easier to watch, Filippou and Lanthimos chose to focus on just three stories. These three still delivered their vision but were more suitable for viewers. This way, they kept the film impactful without overwhelming the audience with too much intense or unsettling content.
The Three Stories in Kinds of Kindness
Yorgos Lanthimos is known for his offbeat films. His films are set in strange worlds and often have a dark sense of humor. Kinds of Kindness is no different. It features three quirky stories that will leave you thinking long but wanting more.
In one story, Jesse Plemons plays an office worker who is being mind-controlled by his boss. In another, Emma Stone plays a woman who returns after being lost at sea and whose husband (Plemons again) is convinced the woman returned is not his wife.
In the third story, Stone plays a woman brainwashed by a cult, led by Willem Dafoe and Hong Chau, while trying to evade the emotionally toxic ex (Joe Alwyn) with whom she shares a daughter. Kinds of Kindness isn’t a simple film to sit through, but it is a thought-provoking one.
Kinds of Kindness is set to release on 21 June 2024!
