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The House That Jack Built is an annoying look at a serial killer with OCD who is convinced he’s some kind of brilliant artist. I personally don’t enjoy watching animals (or people) being tortured, and I didn’t really much care for 99% of this film. It feels like a fun filled romp through the mind of a psychopath where he’s gleefully enjoying all his murders as he recounts them. Remarkably, the film managed to still become tiresome and winded existential dreck until the surprise ending catches you off guard.
Filmmaker Lars von Trier is considered a “renegade visionary” and the film “masterfully provocative.” But I have to say much of this film, in its strange way, glorifies the serial killing and that unflinching lack of empathy that the character seems to be so proud of. We get to listen to him ramble at length about the human condition, and how it relates to hunting or the making of wine, blah blah blah. This is the kind of film that I expect a serial killer would really enjoy. von Trier tried to explain that The House That Jack Built "celebrates the idea that life is evil and soulless,” but I wonder if that’s just von Trier’s own perception from the bottom of his own depression, or some indignant view of humanity that making another shocking movie would expose.
I would rather have watched an entire movie where the two main characters, Jack and Verge (a nod to the Roman poet Virgil) were conversing on their descent through hell, instead of just the last five minutes. The ending bit was much more interesting than the rest of the ultimately banal, horrific murders. I guess over 100 audience members walked out during the film’s premiere at Cannes and I can’t blame them. The film is so uncomfortable and unrepentant you forget that you’re supposed to be terrified. You’re SUPPOSED to feel terrible (unless you’re into this, which means you’re some kind of psycho). Of course the same premiere had the remaining audience give a standing ovation for 10 minutes after, go figure. The House That Jack Built was a well made film with some brilliant bits of acting, but 2018's "most extreme and controversial" horror film gets 5 frozen pizzas and corpses out of 10 from me.
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