Earlier this month, the world of cinema shifted focus onto the Cannes Film Festival. With a bevy of high profile premieres, including a surprise screening of Solo: A Star Wars Story, the 71st annual fiesta of film was expected to go off without a hitch. Enter: The House That Jack Built.
After he was declared “persona non grata” at the 64th edition of the festival, Lars von Trier made his much-anticipated returned to Cannes the other day with his serial killer drama The House That Jack Built. And let’s just say, the premiere screening was met with a divisive reception.
Deemed the festival’s most controversial film, today, a trio of clips from The House That Jack Built made their way online for your viewing pleasure. Don’t worry, the footage contains none of the wildly overstated gory grandeur that prompted at least one hundred patrons to run for the hills.
Called torturous and vile, The House That Jack Built was apparently so unpleasant that a significant portion of those seated in the 2,400-seat Grand Théâtre Lumière made their way to the exits prematurely, despite the inclusion of a “scènes violentes” (“explicit violence”) warning on each ticket. Fellow filmmaker, Gaspar Noé, on the other hand, “couldn’t stop laughing” while watching Lars Von Trier’s serial killer movie. So, food for thought.
The House That Jack Built, which screened out of competition, supposedly depicts Matt Dillon mutilating actress Riley Keough and even a few children. Currently, it’s without a release date, but should that change, we’ll be sure to let you know.
