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Following the massive acclaim from Poor Things, director Yorgos Lanthimos and Academy Award-winning actress Emma Stone teamed up again for Kinds of Kindness. The cast is stacked, which is to be expected at this point. Besides Stone, Kinds of Kindness stars other Poor Things alumni Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley, plus Jesse Plemons (Killers of the Flower Moon), Hong Chau (Showing Up), Joe Alwyn (Conversations With Friends), Mamoudou Athie (Elemental), and Hunter Schafer (Cuckoo). This time around, however, Lanthimos shifts gears away from his mainstream successes (The Favourite, The Lobster). Kinds of Kindness is presented as three short films whose stories are connected only thematically. Whether the new approach pays off is up for debate.
If you missed it in the theaters, the film is officially set to make its streaming debut on Aug. 30. Here’s what you need to know about how to watch Kinds of Kindness at home.
What is Kinds of Kindness about?
As noted above, Kinds of Kindness is made up of three distinct, but loosely connected absurdist stories. The all-star cast recurs across each story, playing different roles.
The first story, “The Death of R.M.F.,” centers around Robert (Plemons) fighting to take back control of his life from his boss Raymond (Dafoe). Raymond controls every aspect of Robert’s life, so when he says “no” for the first time, it leads to dire consequences.
Part two, “R.M.F. is Flying,” follows Daniel (Plemons), a quiet cop whose wife Liz (Stone) has gone missing. He’s reunited with her under bizarre circumstances, leading him to believe she’s an imposter.
And last, part three, “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich,” Emily (Stone) and Andrew (Plemons) are investigators for a cult led by Omi (Dafoe) and Aka (Chau). They’re searching the country for a prophesied person with the ability to raise people from the dead, but the search leads Emily back to the life she left behind.
The trailer doesn’t give much away as far as the plot goes, but it does give you a dose of the bizarre vibes and stellar cast:
Is Kinds of Kindness worth watching?
Mashable reviewer Robert Daniels described the film as “prickly, dark” and a return to Lanthimos’ “unconventional roots, his older, spikier films like Kinetta and Dogtooth.” Critics overall weren’t blown away by Kinds of Kindness but didn’t hate it either. On Rotten Tomatoes, it received a 72 percent critic rating (as of the time of writing).
Audiences, on the other hand, were completely torn. At the time of writing, the film only has a 49 percent audience rating out of over 100 reviews. Some called it one of the weirdest movies they’ve ever seen.
“Ultimately, Kinds of Kindness circles the drain as more of a thought experiment,” our reviewer adds.
Of course, everyone is different and reviews are subjective. You’ll have to watch it for yourself to decide whether Lanthimos’ latest work is weird in a good way or just plain weird.
Read our full review of Kinds of Kindness.
Can I watch Kinds of Kindness at home?
If you missed Kinds of Kindness in the theater, the bizarre dark comedy is available to buy from digital-on-demand retailers like Prime Video, YouTube, and Apple TV. It will also be available to rent at a later date. If you’d rather wait and stream the film, keep reading for more information.
Here are some of the platforms where you can purchase the film online:
Is Kinds of Kindness streaming?
Kinds of Kindness will officially make its streaming debut on Hulu starting Aug. 30. The Searchlight Pictures film will also be available to stream via Hulu on Disney+ for Bundle subscribers. If you’re not a Hulu subscriber, you’ll be happy to learn that the streamer offers a generous 30-day free trial to newbies. For everyone else, subscriptions start at $7.99 per month, but we’ve rounded up the best ways you can save on your subscription below.
Mashable Deals
The best Hulu streaming deals
Best Hulu deal for most people: Hulu annual subscription
While the $7.99 per month streaming cost isn’t terrible, it could be cheaper. By subscribing to a Hulu with ads annual plan, you can save 16% and pay just $6.67 per month instead. Of course, you’ll have to pay the full cost of $79.99 upfront. But it certainly beats the $95.98 you’d pay by dishing out monthly payments. Plus, you might get lucky and save yourself from inevitable price hikes for a year.
Best bundle deal: Get Hulu and Disney+ for 37% off
For more bang for your buck, sign up for the Duo Basic Bundle and get access to the full Disney and Hulu libraries for only $9.99 per month. That’s just $2 more than paying for Hulu on its own — or a savings of 37%. Even better, if you’re a sports fan, you can also throw ESPN+ into the mix and pay $14.99 per month. That’s a savings of 44% on all three services.
Best for students: Hulu Student
Students wanting to stream Kinds of Kindness can sign up for Hulu for the very low price of $1.99 per month. That’s 75% in savings compared to the full cost of Hulu with ads. Just enter your college email address into SheerID to verify your eligibility and score the deal.
Best for T-Mobile users: Hulu (with ads) included for one year for Go5G Next customers
If you’re looking to sign up for streaming services for free, one of the best ways is to switch your mobile plan to T-Mobile’s Go5G Next plan. Customers on this plan not only get Hulu with ads included but also Netflix and Apple TV+. Already on the Go5G Next plan? Be sure to claim your offer over on the T-Mobile promo page. Just enter your T-Mobile number and account details in order to sign up.
Note: After your initial 12-month promotional period, you’ll also have to take action in order to keep your subscription alive.
