THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT

When Lars von Trier does a serial killer movie, you can be sure that the outcome will be far more than just a simple thriller or horror movie. For the Danish master this story about Jack and his five horrifying murders are just the framework for a cinematic essay about the relationship between art and violence, about the perversion of perfectionism and ultimately about the hubris of being a director in the first place – since Jack is doubtlessly an alter ego of von Trier himself. With the darkest of humors and deeply disturbing self-doubt he indirectly confronts all the criticism that is regularly leveled against him – ranging from narcissism to misogyny. A work as disturbing as it is intellectually brilliant.