The House That Jack Built (2018)

The House That Jack Built

• I would give a lot of money to be able to walk through Lars von Trier’s creative process when he makes his films. I’ve only seen a couple of his films (the two Nymph()maniacs and ‘Antichrist’), but this one is easily my favorite. Should I enjoy content like this? Definitely not. But it’s just so interesting to me. This film really does a great job of putting you in the shoes of Jack, and seeing the world he does. It’s not just a way to justify showing gore and heinous acts. Everything that is shown is necessary. The moral and psychological themes that are present are what make this good. If you want to watch a slasher, that’s what the classics are for. But this takes a toll on your mind, and really dives deep into what makes Jack….well, Jack. I love how realistic (mostly) that this is, up until the epilogue. It feels so down to earth and grounded, not some fantastical horror with an iconic killer. It’s deep, it’s moving, it’s gritty. The way the story is put together over twelve years is also nice. It takes different incidents, strings them together with insightful narration, and also includes culture and history. It’s probably one of the more intriguing horror films I’ve ever seen from a storytelling perspective. Matt Dillon’s performance is extremely memorable, and there’s probably very few people that can deliver his lines the way he did. He’ll stick in my mind for a while. His stoic presence is very strong, yet you almost want to help and root for him. That sounds awful to say, but after you watch this, you’ll understand what I mean. Lastly, the cinematography and editing are very precise and make this flow together very smoothly. Even with a two and a half hour runtime, I never really felt it. It just…worked. All the pieces of the puzzle come together to make a tragic, bloody picture that you can’t help but be invested in. I would recommend this to all psychological/body horror fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!