Top 100 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2018: #2. Lars Von Trier’s The House That Jack Built

Published on January 5, 2018

The House That Jack Built

Despite recently weathering accusations of sexual assault against Bjork during the filming of his Palme d’Or winning Dancer in the Dark (2000), Lars Von Trier could potentially be a defining year for the auteur—though in what direction remains to be seen considering recent allegations. Following his two-part sex-addict saga Nymphomaniac, (review I & II), which was released in cinemas in early 2014, Von Trier went public about his struggles with alcoholism and his creative fears as a sober individual. Expectations have remained high for his latest, The House That Jack Built, which was originally conceived as a television mini-series Von Trier later decided would be a feature film about twelve years in the life of a highly-intelligent serial killer (played by Matt Dillon). We’re curious to see how Von Trier’s perspectives on misogyny will be construed through the lens of a male protagonist, but regardless of whatever controversies may curtail the project, it will undoubtedly be a compelling cinematic moment in 2018. Plus, a cast featuring Uma Thurman, Riley Keough and Bruno Ganz doesn’t hurt.

Release Date/Prediction: While Von Trier was famously banned from the Cannes Film Festival following his outré comments at the 2011 edition for Melancholia, we’re thinking the provocateur is poised for a return to the Croisette.

Nicholas Bell

Los Angeles based Nicholas Bell is IONCINEMA.com's Chief Film Critic and covers film festivals such as Sundance, Berlin, Cannes and TIFF. He is part of the critic groups on Rotten Tomatoes, The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) and GALECA. His top 3 for 2021: France (Bruno Dumont), Passing (Rebecca Hall) and Nightmare Alley (Guillermo Del Toro). He was a jury member at the 2019 Cleveland International Film Festival.