Yorgos Lanthimos is a weirdo Perhaps that is the best way to describe this Greek filmmaker known for his eccentric films Lanthimos' films are bleak, but often darkly comic views of humanity that can be confrontational and off-putting

He started out making small films in his native country before breaking through at international film festivals with 2009's Dogtooth He has since made a successful transition to English-language features while maintaining his unique sensibility, and has become one of the most acclaimed filmmakers in the American film industry

With Lanthimos' latest film, the three-part anthology "Kinds of Kindness," starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Willem Defoe, now in theaters, here are his most creative and interesting works, ranked in order of quality (not weirdness)

Volantis, "Kinds of Kindness

Lanthimos' darkest work may be hard to watch, though he has not entirely abandoned his dry sense of humor Surgeon Stephen Murphy's (Colin Farrell) horrific torture of his family is all the more disturbing because Lanthimos portrays it so blithely with a tediously cold sense of humor Barry Keegan plays a young man who places a sort of curse on Stephen's family, ordering them to kill either his wife or his children or they will all die in agony

It's a twisted revenge flick, like a horror film, but Lanthimos portrays it with an aloof formalism that robs it of excitement and satisfaction The audience learns that they have no choice but to squirm along with the Murphy family and succumb to the grisly consequences

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Lanthimos' first English-language film is a bizarre romantic comedy set in a world where everyone must find a romantic partner or be turned into an animal David (Colin Farrell), newly divorced, arrives at a hotel for singles where he must be paired within 45 days Many of the residents go to extreme lengths to convince themselves that they are romantically compatible, while others try to reject society's strict mating requirements

David eventually bonds with a rebellious member of the "lone wolf" group, played by Rachel Weisz, but the connection proves to be as meaningless as the pairings forged at the hotel Lanthimos has turned romance into a series of dangerous and perplexing rituals, disturbingly literal in their pursuit of those desperate for human contact

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Lanthimos' global breakthrough showcases his unique approach to storytelling in a family drama about a completely unrecognizable type of family In a walled compound, the couple has raised their children in complete isolation, teaching them strange and untruthful lessons about the outside world and distorting their language skills by swapping the meanings of seemingly random words The children have grown up, but remain completely under the spell of their parents, believing in the nonsensical reasons given as to why they cannot leave the family compound

"Dogtooth" mixes elements of thriller and coming-of-age, as well as a baffling interlude as the family performs its inexplicable rituals Baffling and fascinating at the same time, it is easy to see why Lanthimos has such a following His sensibility for attracting audiences to big-budget productions began right here

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Lanthimos' first collaboration with Australian screenwriter Tony McNamara has catapulted him to mainstream acceptance and major awards attention The Favourite is a fictional biopic of the vain 18th-century English queen Anne (Olivia Colman), whose capriciousness threatens the stability of her country The two women are Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz), the queen's longtime advisor, and Sarah's ambitious young cousin Abigail Hill (Emma Stone)

Colman is a worthy Oscar winner as the eccentric and horny Queen Anne in a film that is only marginally concerned with historical accuracy Not a boring period piece, The Favourite is a vulgar, nasty, and often hilarious remix of history that focuses on the debauchery and ruthlessness of the ruling class

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Once again collaborating with Tony McNamara, Lanthimos reaches new heights with this loose adaptation of Alasdair Gray's novel Emma Stone won her second Oscar as the star of Lanthimos as Bella Baxter, a hybrid creature brought to life by Frankenstein-like scientist Dr Godwin Baxter (Willem Defoe) Mark Ruffalo is hilarious as the disreputable lawyer who seduces and resents Bella after he separates her from her creator

"Poor Things" pokes fun at the themes of "Frankenstein" as Bella discovers both the pleasures and cruelties of the world beyond Godwin's laboratory The film is set in a kind of steampunk version of Victorian England, brought to life by lavish and elaborate set design and special effects It is an ingenious epic that is the culmination of Lanthimos' long-standing commitment to the theme

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