Types of kindness is now streaming on Hulu, which means you can watch from the comfort of your own home your Couch, Jesse Plemons character watches his own sex tape, comfortably be Couch. That makes you think!
Jesse Plemons’ viewing of his own sex tape is just one of many absurd, obscene moments in Types of kindnessthe new black comedy from Oscar-nominated director Yorgos Lanthimos. Types of kindness is an anthology film consisting of three short films starring Plemons, Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn and Mamoudou Athie in various roles. In the second story, titled “RMF Is Flying”, Plemons plays a police officer named Daniel who is mourning the loss of his wife Liz (Emma Stone), who is lost at sea.
To cheer him up, Daniel’s buddy Neil (Mamoudou Athie) and Neil’s wife Martha (Margaret Qualley) go to Daniel’s house for dinner. Daniel is visibly touched by their kindness and optimism that his Liz will return. At some point during the evening, Plemons reaches for his co-stars’ hands.
“Thank you both so much,” he says, as seriously as possible. “For everything.” Then he asks his friends, still holding hands: “Do you mind if we watch a video? One of the old ones?”
It’s so tentative, so hopeful, so tender and so sweet. It’s heartbreaking when Athie’s character Neil tries to gently turn down his friend. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Daniel. I think we’d all find that a bit embarrassing.”
Plemons begins to beg. “Just a little? A minute, no more. In memory of her.”
“I really don’t think we should do that. It won’t do you any good, and it would be pretty weird for us too,” replies Qualley’s character Martha. “You’ve already shown us those wonderful photos of Liz on the boat, on her travels.”
“OK,” Plemons replies dejectedly. He finishes his drink and then pours himself another. Then he starts to cry. Athie and Qualley exchange a pained look. Finally, they give in.
“OK, OK,” Athie strokes Plemons’ back reassuringly. “We can watch some of the video.”
“Thank you,” Plemmons says. Then he immediately stops crying and stands up to put the video in. That little fraud!
And the best part? The video that Plemons was so tearful he insisted on watching? It’s a sex tape featuring Plemons, Athie, Stone and Qualley in a passionate orgy.
Athie and Qualley watch, visibly uncomfortable, as their own moans and gasps play from the screen. Athie asks Plemons to turn the volume down, and Plemons reluctantly obeys. But even with the volume down, Plemons is trapped. He watches with rapt attention as the TV versions of himself and Athie berate the TV versions of Stone and Qualley from behind.
The tape cuts to another part of that night of debauchery, to a shot of Qualley screwing Plemons while slamming his face into Stone’s chest. It’s a bit too explicit to use as a screenshot for this article, but trust us, it’s there. And honestly, who can blame Plemons for wanting to watch this tape all the damn time after watching it? This man has a sex tape of Emma Stone and Margaret Qualley at his fingertips! Wouldn’t you beg your friends to watch it?
Similar to the rest Types of kindnessthis scene is both very explicit, very weird and very silly. You will never get bored and you will surely be well entertained. So go ahead and watch this movie with a few friends on your couch at home. Even if it makes your friends uncomfortable.
