I couldn’t tell you the last time I was this excited to see a movie.
This morning, IFC Films dropped the first ever trailer for Lars von Trier‘s The House That Jack Built, featuring Matt Dillon (“Wayward Pines”) as a serial killer who views each of his murders as a work of art. It looked vicious, but also quirky in the way of American Psycho. I was instantly sold. Now, on the eve of its Cannes premiere, I would do just about anything to see this movie NOW.
Hundreds allegedly walked out of the screening after what is being described as “vomitive,” “torturous”, and “vile”. *Spoiler warning* Without having seen the film, it’s hard to know if there’s a bit of an overreaction here. When does horror go too far? Can fiction ever truly go too far? The tweets shared below touch on child murder, mutilation, and more. It sounds hardcore, but us horror fans have seen it all. Just how far does von Trier take it and, more importantly, why? Being offended is 2018 in a nutshell, which is why it’s hard to take the word of a bunch of adults watching a movie dressed in tuxedoes. We’ll all find out for ourselves soon enough and then we can dissect the merits of this slasher film. For now, the hype has just hit the ceiling…
I’ve never seen anything like this at a film festival. More than 100 people have walked out of Lars von Trier’s ‘The House That Jack Built,’ which depicts the mutilation of women and children. “It’s disgusting,” one woman said on her way out. #Cannes2018 pic.twitter.com/GsBGCoyHEG
— Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) May 14, 2018
Talked to someone who walked out of the Lars von Trier film at Cannes: “He mutilates Riley Keough, he mutilates children… and we are all there in formal dress expected to watch it?”
— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) May 14, 2018
Walked out on LarsvonTrier . Vile movie. Should not have been made. Actors culpable
— Showbiz 411 (@showbiz411) May 14, 2018
Just left Lars Von Trier’s The House that Jack Built.
Gross. Pretentious. Vomitive. Torturous. Pathetic. #Cannes2018— The Oscar Predictor (@OscarPredictor) May 14, 2018
why can’t Lars von Trier just make a normal fcking movie for once. pushing limits is one thing but he’s just a complete sadist expressing his narcissism and contempt for the world through his art.
— Luke (@lmaldarella) May 14, 2018
I’ve just walked out of #LarsVonTrier premiere at #Cannes2018 because seeing children being shot and killed is not art or entertainment
— Charlie Angela (@CharlieAJ) May 14, 2018