Lars von Trier is not for everyone, and if the TrailerTown for his upcoming film The House That Jack Built tells us anything, it’s that if you don’t like earlier von Trier movies, you probably won’t like this. That works well for us (well, J at least) because we really like Lars von Trier movies. Lars von Trier is known for pushing buttons and the boundaries of what we think we are comfortable showing on film, and by casting Matt Dillon as a sociopathic serial killer known as Mr. Sophistication, and taking us through five of his most prolific kills as he builds his house of horrors, von Trier is setting up for one of his most brutal films yet. Be warned, this movie and TrailerTown are not for the faint of heart or bladder.

Do you have your rubber sheets and anti-anxiety medicine? Good, now you can dive into the TrailerTown and then read our Top 5 thoughts about it below:

Top 5 Things About The House That Jack Built Trailer

  1. The Bowie Butcher – A lot of times, the right music queues can make or break a trailer (think: Suicide Squad‘s first trailer with the Queen song). While that’s not emblematic of whether or not the movie will be good (think: Suicide Squad), we have faith that Lars von Trier didn’t pick the upbeat Bowie song “Fame” for this TrailerTown for no reason. The mix of the funky beat over Jack’s many (many) kills sets a perfect tone for this first look.
  2. Killin’ Dillon – There have been times we’ve been thoroughly impressed with Matt Dillon. We’re mainly thinking about films like Drugstore Cowboy, To Die For, and There’s Something About Mary, while specifically not thinking about other films he’s done. But DAMN if it doesn’t look like he owns this performance and may have a few more clips for his highlight reel.
  3. Axing Poetic – It’s not a Lars von Trier movie if our protagonists aren’t waxing philosophic about whatever the theme of the film is. Kirsten Dunst can’t stop talking about sadness and narcissism in Melancholia, Charlotte Gainsbourg is always theorizing about love and lust in Nymphomaniac,  Willem Dafoe explores grief and parenting in Antichrist, and The House That Jack Built is no different, giving us a taste around the 1:55 mark with a wonderful monologue about atrocities, violence, and art.
  4. Red Asphalt – The scenes of Jack dragging a body behind his van in public, leaving behind a trail of blood and brain, only to have it washed away by the rain may be one of the most hauntingly gory and beautiful images we’ve seen in a TrailerTown in a while. It seems to perfectly encapsulate the theme of the movie and leave us wanting to endure this as soon as possible.
  5. If We’re Dyin’, We’re Lion – At their cores, Lars von Trier movies are arthouse films. They have a point of view and they will do whatever they can to get their message across as viscerally as possible. Sometimes the allusions can be a bit on the nose (i.e. the lion and the lamb interstitials with Jack and Uma Thurman), but those little touches help make a von Trier movie a von Trier movie. We hope, if ther are included in the movie, the only act to embelish and adorn, rather than distract.

It’s going to be a brutal ride this November when Matt Dillon drives his red van into our memories. Will you be visiting his horrifying open house or will you just wait for our episode on it so we can walk you through it in safety? Let us know in the comments!