10 Horror Movie Endings No One Understands
9. The House That Jack Built
Released in 2018, The House That Jack Built is a return to pure provocation for the infamous Melancholia helmer Lars Von Trier. Where the likes of 2011's tragic Melancholia saw the helmer in more thoughtful form, this story of Matt Dillon's unrepentant serial killer is the cinematic equivalent of trolling.
The surreal blackly comic horror from the Dogme 95 provocates was criticized for its unrelentingly gruesome violence, but the film’s absurdly silly ending can ironically be read as a condemnation of high art’s self seriousness.
For the duration of this flick, the audience are subjected to the repugnant man, woman, and child murders that the eponymous protagonist committed whilst the pretentious tool narrates his meticulously crafted killing sprees, attempting to justify them as experimental art projects. This entire enterprise soon transpires to be pointless folly, as Jack falls off a bridge and is doomed to an eternity in Hell after all.
The end.
According to some readings, the shaggy dog ending is a pretty brutal condemnation of high art's self congratulatory attempts to justify its existence, with the director illustrating that you can rationalize your pursuits to yourself however you like, but it won't help you when your time is up.