Synopsis:

THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT takes place in 1970s USA. We follow the highly intelligent Jack through 5 incidents and are introduced to the murders that define Jack’s development as a serial killer.
We experience the story from Jack’s point of view. He views each murder as an artwork in itself, even though his dysfunction gives him problems in the outside world. Despite the fact that the final and inevitable police intervention is drawing ever near (which both provokes and puts pressure on Jack) he is – contrary to all logic – set on taking greater and greater chances. Along the way we experience Jack’s descriptions of his personal condition, problems and thoughts through a recurring conversation with the unknown Verge – a grotesque mixture of sophistry mixed with an almost childlike self-pity and in-depth explanations of, for Jack, dangerous and difficult maneuvers.


About the film:

For the main characters in THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT, Lars von Trier has gathered an impressive, international cast. Matt Dillon stars in the lead as serial killer Jack and alongside him, Bruno Ganz stars as the mysterious Verge, who challenge and explore Jack’s stream of consciousness through a recurrent dialogue. Uma Thurman, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Sofie Gråbøl and Riley Keough are all in the rank of unfortunate women who encounter Jack on his way.

Uma Thurman, Siobhan Fallon Hogan and Sofie Gråbøl have previously worked with Lars von Trier, while this marks Riley Keough’s first collaboration with von Trier. Thurman featured as the prominent Ms. H in NYMPHOMANIAC (2013); Fallon Hogan in Triers highly acclaimed and award winning DANCER IN THE DARK (2000) and DOGVILLE (2003) and finally Gråbøl appeared in THE BOSS OF IT ALL (2006). 

THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT is produced by Louise Vesth for Zentropa Group in co-production with Film i Väst, Copenhagen Film Fund, Slot Machine, with support from Danish Film Institute, Eurimages, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Swedish Film Institute, CNC, The Media Programme of the European Union and in cooperation with DR, ZDF/Arte, SVT. TrustNordisk handles international sales. Nordic distribution through Nordisk Film.


Crew:

Writer and Director: Lars von Trier
Based on an idea by: Jenle Hallund and Lars von Trier
Producer: Louise Vesth
Co-producers: Madeleine Ekman, Lizette Jonjic, Marianne Slot, Bettina Brokemper, Tine Grew Pfeiffer, Jonas Bagger
Director of photography: Manuel Alberto Claro, DFF
Visual effects supervisor: Peter Hjorth
Production design: Simone Grau Roney
Lead editor: Molly Malene Stensgaard
Sound designer: Kristian Selin Eidnes Andersen
Story developer: Jenle Hallund
Additional directing: Anders Refn
Costume designer: Manon Rasmussen
Make-up and hair designer: Dennis Knudsen
Post producer: Cecilie Rui
Line producer: Maj-Britt Paulmann Dalsgaard
Executive producers: Tomas Eskilsson, Thomas Gammeltoft, Leonid Ogarev, Peter Aalbæk Jensen, Charlotte Pedersen"


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