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The House That Jack Built

Play trailer 2:43 Poster for The House That Jack Built R 2018 2h 31m Mystery & Thriller Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
59% Tomatometer 137 Reviews 65% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
In five episodes, failed architect and vicious sociopath Jack recounts his elaborately orchestrated murders -- each, as he views them, a towering work of art that defines his life's work as a serial killer in the Pacific Northwest.
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The House That Jack Built

The House That Jack Built

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Critics Consensus

The House That Jack Built presents writer-director Lars von Trier at his most proudly uncompromising: hard to ignore, and for many viewers, just as difficult to digest.

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Critics Reviews

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Emma Stefansky Slate Apr 8, 2019
Von Trier may be a provocateur, but his brand of provocation seems to be growing stale. Go to Full Review
David Stratton The Australian Mar 8, 2019
1/5
The violence in The House That Jack Built is horrific...you've been warned. Go to Full Review
Paul Byrnes Sydney Morning Herald Mar 5, 2019
2/5
If this shrill, manipulative, sledge-hammer allegory is right for our times, give me Dante any day. Von Trier has certainly done better, but never worse. Go to Full Review
Bryce Hanson Horror Movie Talk Aug 6, 2025
7/10
This is a serial killer movie that definitely pushes the envelope. Many of the killing scenes seem a little too real, and feel a little like watching a sudden snuff film. Go to Full Review
Sarah Vincent Sarah G Vincent Views Jun 12, 2024
If you enjoy serial killer movies, do not watch The House That Jack Built expecting traditional, satisfying fare. If you are a von Trier fan, he has done better work, and something in this film feels lacking. Go to Full Review
Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Mar 4, 2022
2/4
It's precisely because I see the merits of his form that I find its overly mindful digressions into self-indulgence tiresome. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Tori C @carporthero 20 hrs ago At first I didn’t understand that the film was an allegory for Dante’s Inferno so it confused me a bit, but I eventually caught on and was able to understand and see the director’s vision for this film. Great cinematography I personally thought, I like Von Trier’s production style. As someone who has seen extreme cinema and extreme arthouse film before, it definitely fits into the category but not as intensely as some other films do. As I’ve read some other people’s reviews I see that they found certain scenes in the film "grotesque" but to me, it’s not necessarily the visuals as the concepts are absurd. Good acting, the plot is divisive but it is experimental and I personally liked the setup. See more J H @UpstateNYThriller Jul 22, 2026 8.7/10 Great serial killer movie with Matt Dillon. He's an OCD serial killer. Very meticulous and also an architect. The movie is shot as him as narrator. One of the best serial killer movies i've seen. Thriller, Suspense See more girly gamer 2 @Dada_gooner Apr 24, 2026 THIS IS AMAZING!!! On every level it did NOT disappoint! The filming /cinematography was about astronomical!!!! No movies film that anymore I love it so much! It's so creative and ties everything together so perfectly! It's amazing!! And it didn't use really much gore or jumpscares, scary music to scare, it didn't need those things to be great that's what I love about it so much it's not scary but it's amazing, because it tells a story, I love Jack's philosophy when he tells a story on art, I love movies that seem wise and philosophical, and that mixed in with the killing and the amazing acting wow! This is the best psychological horror movie ever! The ending? Was meh. But it was creative and never done before most horror movies you predict the end you can't for this. It's simply amazing, it's a must watch! And matt Dillon oooo so sexy! See more Jayye G. @Buhhberry Mar 16, 2026 Drags on for a bit longer than I would like but I did appreciate the murder scenes, very realistic. See more Jordan R. @bobby91 Mar 2, 2026 Loved it. The story, editing, grotesque scenes which left chills on my body is one of the better serial killer movies. See more Mike H. @Mik3y Mar 1, 2026 Macabre, but in a good way. If you cannot handle graphic violence, you might want to steer clear of this one. I probably would score it higher, but it's just an unnecessarily long film. See more Read all reviews
The House That Jack Built

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Movie Info

Synopsis In five episodes, failed architect and vicious sociopath Jack recounts his elaborately orchestrated murders -- each, as he views them, a towering work of art that defines his life's work as a serial killer in the Pacific Northwest.
Director
Lars von Trier
Producer
Louise Vesth
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
Copenhagen Film Fund, Eurimages, Zentropa Entertainment, Film i Väst, Film und Medien Stiftung NRW
Rating
R (Language|Grisly Images|Nudity|Sadistic Behavior|Strong Disturbing Violence)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 14, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 31, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA)
$253.5K
Runtime
2h 31m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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