Ranking Every Lars Von Trier Film Worst To Best
13. The Element Of Crime (1984)
Lars Von Trier's first full-length film as well as the opening to his Europa Trilogy, The Element of Crime is far removed from the films that would come later in his career. Not a horror in the typical sense, the film is instead von Trier's attempt at a surreal neo-noir crime drama, in which a detective (Michael Elphick) attempts to hunt down a mysterious serial killer.
The Element of Crime is a abstract tale of murder and obsession, sporting great performances but never really allowing itself to stretch its legs and get comfortable with the story. Also, the tight budget of the picture unfortunately shows when it comes to the set pieces and camera work, and so the allure of the film is lost in the technical issues.
Still, at its core, The Element of Crime is a unique crime thriller and makes for key viewing for anyone interested in von Trier's work.