Yorgos Lanthimos’ absurdist anthology Kinds of Kindness revolves around the death of a mysterious man named R.M.F., but what exactly does R.M.F. stand for (if anything)? Kinds of Kindness tells three separate stories – “The Death of R.M.F.,” “R.M.F. is Flying,” and “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich” – each loosely revolving around R.M.F. In the first of the three segments, R.M.F. is brutally killed by being run over in a parking lot. In the mid-credits scene at the end of the film, he’s seen spilling ketchup on his shirt.

In “The Death of R.M.F.,” a corporate drone is tasked with killing R.M.F. for his overbearing boss. In “R.M.F. is Flying,” a police officer’s missing wife is returned after being rescued in a helicopter flown by R.M.F. In “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich,” towards the end of Kinds of Kindness, a cultist attempts to bring R.M.F.’s body back to life with the help of a clairvoyant. R.M.F. is a central figure in the movie – none of these three stories would happen without him – but what do his three initials stand for?

R.M.F. Has No Official Meaning In Kinds Of Kindness

Yorgos Lanthimos encourages viewers to create their own meaning

There’s no official meaning that’s been confirmed for the R.M.F. character in Kinds of Kindness. Since the film’s release, Lanthimos has clarified (via Digital Spy) that R.M.F. doesn’t refer to any one person in particular, and that his recurring role throughout the anthology was simply “a subtle way to connect the three stories.” The director encouraged viewers to come up with their own meaning and “apply any kind of explanation that you want.” It’s deliberately ambiguous so that audiences can interpret the character in their own way.

The Best Theories For R.M.F.'s Meaning In Kinds Of Kindness

There are some great interpretations, including "Random Motherf*****"

While the film itself doesn’t confirm who R.M.F. is or what his initials stand for, there have been some really interesting theories. There’s a fascinating Reddit thread on the r/yorgoslanthimos subreddit discussing the possible meanings of R.M.F.’s initials. The who started the thread, u/Imaginary_Bench7752, suggested that R stands for “redemption,” M stands for “manipulation,” and F stands for “faith,” summarizing the key themes of the movie. Robert achieves redemption after disobeying his boss Raymond; Raymond manipulates Robert into letting him control his life; and Emily has blind faith in Omi’s cult.

The also offered an alternative suggestion – “Random Motherf*****” – which is a lot funnier and very much in line with Lanthimos’ dry, dark sense of humor. There’s a slightly less NSFW version of this suggested by u/Plenty_Charity_6285: “Random Male Figure.” Since R.M.F.’s role in each of Kinds of Kindness’ three stories facilitates a toxic or abusive relationship in which one person controls another, u/tko22248 suggests R.M.F. could stand for “Rob Mind’s Freedom” (or maybe it’s “Rob My Freedom”). These are all strong suggestions and they could all apply.

Source: Digital Spy, r/yorgoslanthimos