The House That Jack Built Movie Review - Murder by Numbers
Lars von Trier's latest film follows the story of a serial killer named Jack who breaks down the incidents into five parts with each of them reflecting horrifying events of killings.
Cast - Matt Dillon, Bruno Ganz, Uma Thurman, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Riley Keough, Jeremy Davies, Sofie Gråbøl
Directed By - Lars von Trier
Genre - Psychological Horror, Mystery
The House That Jack Built is not an easy movie to like or to watch. Many will come out disgusted, totally hating it and cursing the director for the rest of there lives or for a few days for sure. Lars von Trier is a scandalous filmmaker who perhaps loves the controversies and walkouts so much that maybe he purposefully makes his films off-putting and devoid of life. Over the years with his previous works, he has generated an image around him, and you know it is a von Trier film if people come out vomiting or leave the screening midway itself. But that is one side of the coin as many admire him for his craft and style of filmmaking. I think Antichrist was one of his best works no matter how gruesome and unapologetic it became consistently in its runtime. And that is Lars von Trier who like his movies has a polarising view among the audience.
If you are familiar with his works, you know what you are getting into, and the fact that this one is about a serial killer pretty much itself gives out the brutal contents within. When we first see Jack driving in the snow in his red van, his expressions seem normal, and the childlike innocence makes him appear like someone who would be too afraid to kill a fly. That red coloured van and Jack look out of place in that mostly white shaded snowy area. He comes across a woman (Uma Thurman) who with a smile on her face kind of "forces" Jack to drive him to a nearby mechanic to fix her broken jack. The woman completely matches the surrounding with her clothes and white face. Maybe that red van and the surrounding area foreshadow something because after a series of events, blood starts coming out of her face. This is the first incident out of five that is narrated to us by Jack who is telling this story to someone called Verge (Bruno Ganz).
Lars von Trier has said that this film celebrates the idea that life is evil and soulless. This is someone who in his depression had come out with a view of making Antichrist, Melancholia and Nymphomaniac which later unofficially came to be known as "Depression Trilogy". While The House That Jack Built has some very repulsive and nauseating moments, it cannot be denied that the craft on display is outstanding. The climax is one of the best in a von Trier film. Jack attempts to build a house but is unsuccessful perhaps because, for a man like Jack, the house is not a foundation built on bricks and woods. What he needs is a pile of flesh and bones which is something he realises towards the end, and that makes sense because he finds happiness from his lust for blood and violent cutting off parts and skins. He feels at ease when surrounded by them.
That does not mean there is no humour to be found here. In the beginning, we come to know that Jack has OCD which makes up for some funny scenes like the one where he continually has to go in and out of a house as he fears for any trace of blood that he might have left out while "dealing" with a woman. The OCD fades away slowly as his desire for murder increases. He starts taking risks and goes to extreme lengths when he doesn't get a photo right.
The film puts us into the shoes of Verge as we question the morality of Jack as he narrates the story. It dares to impress us with Jack's intelligence and some incidents particularly the one involving heavy rains as if trying to connect the evil side of the audience with the character. It felt like a mockery.
Matt Dillon embodies Jack and blurs the line between fiction and reality. At times, you forget that this is someone playing the character and is not the character himself. The other characters in the role of the victims were equally believable and provided the tension that was important in this movie. If even one of them had tripped, then the whole scene would have greatly suffered. The actors surrendered themselves to there parts.
There is always a mixed reaction towards Lars von Trier's films and The House That Jack Built is no different from his previous works concerning the reception. It is also destined to split the critics and the audiences alike. For those who are willing and brave enough to digest the gore and sickening images, The House That Jack Built may prove to be an interesting case of filmmaking and a study in human psychology.
Rating - 4/5
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Cast - Matt Dillon, Bruno Ganz, Uma Thurman, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Riley Keough, Jeremy Davies, Sofie Gråbøl
Directed By - Lars von Trier
Genre - Psychological Horror, Mystery
The House That Jack Built is not an easy movie to like or to watch. Many will come out disgusted, totally hating it and cursing the director for the rest of there lives or for a few days for sure. Lars von Trier is a scandalous filmmaker who perhaps loves the controversies and walkouts so much that maybe he purposefully makes his films off-putting and devoid of life. Over the years with his previous works, he has generated an image around him, and you know it is a von Trier film if people come out vomiting or leave the screening midway itself. But that is one side of the coin as many admire him for his craft and style of filmmaking. I think Antichrist was one of his best works no matter how gruesome and unapologetic it became consistently in its runtime. And that is Lars von Trier who like his movies has a polarising view among the audience.
If you are familiar with his works, you know what you are getting into, and the fact that this one is about a serial killer pretty much itself gives out the brutal contents within. When we first see Jack driving in the snow in his red van, his expressions seem normal, and the childlike innocence makes him appear like someone who would be too afraid to kill a fly. That red coloured van and Jack look out of place in that mostly white shaded snowy area. He comes across a woman (Uma Thurman) who with a smile on her face kind of "forces" Jack to drive him to a nearby mechanic to fix her broken jack. The woman completely matches the surrounding with her clothes and white face. Maybe that red van and the surrounding area foreshadow something because after a series of events, blood starts coming out of her face. This is the first incident out of five that is narrated to us by Jack who is telling this story to someone called Verge (Bruno Ganz).
Lars von Trier has said that this film celebrates the idea that life is evil and soulless. This is someone who in his depression had come out with a view of making Antichrist, Melancholia and Nymphomaniac which later unofficially came to be known as "Depression Trilogy". While The House That Jack Built has some very repulsive and nauseating moments, it cannot be denied that the craft on display is outstanding. The climax is one of the best in a von Trier film. Jack attempts to build a house but is unsuccessful perhaps because, for a man like Jack, the house is not a foundation built on bricks and woods. What he needs is a pile of flesh and bones which is something he realises towards the end, and that makes sense because he finds happiness from his lust for blood and violent cutting off parts and skins. He feels at ease when surrounded by them.
That does not mean there is no humour to be found here. In the beginning, we come to know that Jack has OCD which makes up for some funny scenes like the one where he continually has to go in and out of a house as he fears for any trace of blood that he might have left out while "dealing" with a woman. The OCD fades away slowly as his desire for murder increases. He starts taking risks and goes to extreme lengths when he doesn't get a photo right.
The film puts us into the shoes of Verge as we question the morality of Jack as he narrates the story. It dares to impress us with Jack's intelligence and some incidents particularly the one involving heavy rains as if trying to connect the evil side of the audience with the character. It felt like a mockery.
There is always a mixed reaction towards Lars von Trier's films and The House That Jack Built is no different from his previous works concerning the reception. It is also destined to split the critics and the audiences alike. For those who are willing and brave enough to digest the gore and sickening images, The House That Jack Built may prove to be an interesting case of filmmaking and a study in human psychology.
Rating - 4/5
Follow Me On:
Twitter - https://twitter.com/vikas_yadav98
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/vikasy199/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/vimovies123/
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