B.J. W. (analogkid01) from CHICAGO, IL
Reviewed on 7/5/2025...
Hoo boy, Lars von Trier. Like Todd Solondz, this isn't a director you approach casually. You don't just "catch the latest von Trier flick," you prep for it.
In 2018 von Trier made "The House that Jack Built." Matt Dillon plays Jack, an architect and a serial killer. Like "Nymphomaniac" before it, the film is essentially a winding, wide-ranging philosophical conversation between Jack and a mostly off-screen companion (Bruno Ganz) as they dissect Jack's history, his hobbies, his career, and his murders.
von Trier's more recent films are over-long (regularly clocking in at 2.5 hours minimum), over-philosophical, and under-satisfying. His films are truly artful, but they require extreme patience and a willingness to look past horrifying or disturbing imagery to follow the philosophical ramblings under the surface.
von Trier's better films are more straightforward narratives. Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville, and Melancholia are his most accessible features. Nymphomaniac, The House that Jack Built, and especially Antichrist (for which von Trier was given a special "anti-feminist" award at Cannes) are best avoided. "Jack" is especially self-serving as von Trier straight-up shows scenes from his previous films during one of Jack's philosophical diatribes.
The House that Jack Built is a well-made exercise in murder and cruelty with few redeeming qualities.
Grade: C-minus
K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 4/27/2024...
Over the years, Matt Dillon has evolved into playing and looking the part of a total creep!