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Five overlooked thrillers everyone should watch
🇭🇺 Hungary /Culture & Society

Five overlooked thrillers everyone should watch

From Magyar Nemzet · () Hungarian

Translated from Hungarian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • "The House That Jack Built" by Lars von Trier is a provocative, philosophical, and darkly humorous exploration of a serial killer's mind.
  • The film follows Jack, an intelligent but ruthless serial killer, over twelve years in 1970s America, portraying his crimes as artistic expressions.
  • It questions the boundary between artistic expression and inhumanity, featuring dialogues between Jack and a mysterious companion, Verge, who challenges his justifications.

Lars von Trier's 2018 film, "The House That Jack Built," offers a disturbing and provocative journey into the mind of a serial killer, challenging viewers with its philosophical depth and dark humor. The movie, directed by von Trier from his own script, centers on Jack, an intelligent yet ruthless man who views his horrific acts as artistic creations. The narrative unfolds over approximately twelve years in 1970s America, chronicling Jack's development as he recounts his crimes to a mysterious companion.

The film is a provocative, sometimes shocking, philosophical journey laced with black humor into the mind of a killer.

— Magyar NemzetDescribing the film's tone and subject matter.

The film uniquely presents the murders from Jack's perspective, highlighting his self-perception as an artist. This framing raises profound questions about the line between artistic self-expression and sheer inhumanity. The story is punctuated by dialogues between Jack and Verge, a character whose name alludes to Dante's "Inferno." Verge serves as Jack's philosophical counterpoint, constantly questioning the killer's justifications and the consequences of his actions, turning the film into a peculiar philosophical debate.

Jack doesn't just commit crimes; he sees himself as an artist, and tries to interpret each murder as a work of art.

— Magyar NemzetExplaining Jack's self-perception and motivation.

Matt Dillon delivers a complex performance as Jack, portraying him not as a one-dimensional monster but as an intelligent, vain, self-justifying, and obsessive individual. Dillon masterfully navigates Jack's duality, making the character at times appear ridiculous and at others disturbingly calm, even as he commits heinous acts. This nuanced portrayal is central to the film's unsettling impact. Bruno Ganz, as Verge, provides a crucial foil, embodying a more contemplative and questioning presence.

What is the boundary between artistic self-expression and inhumanity?

— Magyar NemzetHighlighting a central question posed by the film.

Beyond its central characters, the film's technical aspects, including cinematography by Manuel Alberto Claro and editing by Molly Malene Stensgaard and Jacob Secher Schulsinger, contribute to its unsettling atmosphere. "The House That Jack Built" is a divisive film, but its exploration of morality, art, and the darker aspects of human nature has cemented its place as a significant, albeit challenging, work in contemporary cinema.

Verge not only listens to the killer's stories but constantly questions his thinking and self-justification.

— Magyar NemzetDescribing the role of the character Verge.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Magyar Nemzet in Hungarian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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