Lars Von Trier to direct serial killer movie The House that Jack Built

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

I know Lars Von Trier is a polarizing figure, but I really like his films. I feel like he always adds a personal, psychological layer to his films that elevate them from their initial premises (such as how the plot "couple in haunted house" from ANTICHRIST becomes instead a dark meditation on loss, or how "end of the world" in MELANCHOLIA becomes a personal and nuanced look on the effects of depression.)

Anyway, Von Trier's next film seems to be a serial killer film titled THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT, and according to Deadline, the plot will follow the eponymous Jack through twelve years of serial killer-ing, with the police inevitably right behind him.

While that synopsis alone admittedly doesn't light my fire, the fact that Von Trier is behind the film gives me a lot of hope. It probably will have unexpected twists and turns, be fucked up and dark as-all-Hell, but will also have a deeper psychological underpinning that the serial killer plot is a Trojan horse for. Well, hopefully. As much as I love Von Trier, he can also sometimes wallow in the nihistic abyss – let's hope he has a little more restraint with this one.

The film has also been cast, with Matt Dillon (THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY) as the serial killer Jack, and Bruno Ganz (DOWNFALL) as "a mysterious figure named Verge, who engages Jack in a recurring conversation about his actions and thoughts." Interesting.

THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT is set to kill sometime in 2018.

So any other fans of Lars Von Trier's work? If so, what do you think about the new film?