The Best Movies Directed by Lars von Trier
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1Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David MorseDancer in the Dark is a poignant drama set amidst the gritty realism of 1960s Washington State. Selma Ježková (Björk), a Czech immigrant and single mother, toils in a factory while grappling with her deteriorating eyesight. She seeks solace in her love for classic Hollywood musicals, often escaping into vivid daydreams. Bill Houston (David Morse), her neighbor and a financially struggling cop, plays a pivotal role in the story's tragic unfolding. Directed by Lars von Trier, this film won the Palme d'Or at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.More Dancer in the Dark
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2Nicole Kidman, Harriet Andersson, Lauren BacallA barren soundstage is stylishly utilized to create a minimalist small-town setting in which a mysterious woman named Grace (Nicole Kidman) hides from the criminals who pursue her. The town is two-faced and offers to harbor Grace as long as she can make it worth their effort, so Grace works hard under the employ of various townspeople to win their favor. Tensions flare, however, and Grace's status as a helpless outsider provokes vicious contempt and abuse from the citizens of Dogville.More Dogville
3Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander SkarsgårdIn Melancholia, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) grapples with crippling depression during her disastrous wedding reception, held at the lavish estate of her sister, Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg). This familial drama unfolds against a backdrop of impending cosmic catastrophe, as a rogue planet, ominously named Melancholia, threatens to collide with Earth. Danish director Lars von Trier masterfully intertwines these narratives of personal and planetary despair in this visually stunning film. Melancholia is a poignant exploration of mental health and existential dread, underscored by its dramatic sci-fi twist. It was recognized for its outstanding performances and cinematography, notably securing Kirsten Dunst the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011.More Melancholia- #64 of 126 onThe 100+ Grossest Movies Ever
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4Willem Dafoe, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Storm Acheche SahlstrømIn the chilling drama Antichrist, a grieving couple retreats to their cabin in the woods, aptly named Eden, following the tragic death of their son. He (Willem Dafoe) is a therapist, intent on aiding his wife, She (Charlotte Gainsbourg), through her grief. As they delve deeper into the wilderness, they descend into madness and brutality. Directed by Lars von Trier, this controversial film won Charlotte Gainsbourg the Best Actress award at Cannes Film Festival for her harrowing performance. This movie is an exploration of sorrow, insanity and the dark corners of human nature, all set against an eerily beautiful backdrop.More Antichrist- #205 of 253 onThe 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
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5Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgård, Katrin CartlidgeIn a small and religious coastal town, a simple, devoutly religious Scottish woman, Bess McNeill (Emily Watson), finds a partner in an oil rig worker from Norway, Jan Nyman (Stellan Skarsgard). However, the relationship grows strained when Nyman breaks his neck in a horrific work accident on the rig and becomes paralyzed. Unable to perform sexually and suffering mentally from the accident as well, Jan convinces Bess to have sex with other men, which she comes to believe is God's work.More Breaking the Waves- #369 of 379 onThe Best Movies Of The 1990s
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6Jean-Marc Barr, Barbara Sukowa, Udo KierAn American (Jean-Marc Barr) gets caught in a plot to blow up a train for the woman (Barbara Sukowa) he loves in 1945 Germany.- 7
The House That Jack Built
Matt Dillon, Bruno Ganz, Uma ThurmanIn five episodes, failed architect and vicious sociopath Jack recounts his elaborately orchestrated murders -- each, as he views them, a towering work of art that defines his life's work as a serial killer in the Pacific Northwest. 
8Udo Kier, Ernst-Hugo Järegård, Jens OkkingThe Kingdom is an eight-episode Danish television mini-series, created by Lars von Trier in 1994, and co-directed by Lars von Trier and Morten Arnfred. It has been edited together into a five-hour film for distribution in the United Kingdom and United States. The series is set in the neurosurgical ward of Copenhagen's Rigshospitalet, the city and country's main hospital, nicknamed "Riget". "Riget" means "the realm" or "the kingdom" and leads one to think of "dødsriget", the realm of the dead. The show follows a number of characters, both staff and patients, as they encounter bizarre phenomena, both human and supernatural. The show is notable for its wry humor, its muted sepia colour scheme, and the appearance of a chorus of dishwashers with Down Syndrome who discuss in intimate detail the strange occurrences in the hospital. The first quartet of episodes ended with numerous questions unanswered, and in 1997, the cast reassembled to produce another group of four episodes, Riget II. This second series ended with even more questions unanswered than the first, and a third series was planned.
9Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgård, Stacy MartinJoe, a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac who is discovered badly beaten in an alley by an older bachelor, Seligman, who takes her into his home. As he tends to her wounds, she recounts the erotic story of her adolescence and young-adulthood.
10Lars von Trier, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Paprika SteenThe Idiots is a 1998 Danish comedy-drama film directed by Lars von Trier. It is his first film made in compliance with the Dogme 95 Manifesto, and is also known as Dogme #2. It is the second film in von Trier's Golden Heart Trilogy, which includes Breaking the Waves and Dancer in the Dark. It is among the first films to be shot entirely with digital cameras.
11Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgård, Willem DafoeNymphomaniac is a 2013 two-part Danish drama art film directed by Lars von Trier. In volume two, Joe's sexually dictated life delves into the darker aspects of her adulthood, obsessions and what led to her being in Seligman's care.- #2 of 88 onThe Most Awkward Movies to Watch with Your Parents
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12Bryce Dallas Howard, Isaach De Bankolé, Danny GloverIn 1933 a young woman, named Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), and her father discover an Alabama plantation whose inhabitants live as if slavery had never been abolished. Feeling a sense of duty to the people behind the heavy gates, she stays to liberate the people and see them through their first harvest. With four of her father's colleagues and a lawyer, she faces the daunting task of resurrecting the place known as Manderlay.
13Claus NissenIn 1967, experimental filmmaker Jorgen Leth created a striking short film, "The Perfect Human," starring a man and women sitting in a box while a narrator poses questions about their relationship and humanity. Years later, Danish director Lars von Trier made a deal with Leth to remake the film five times, each under a different set of circumstances and with von Trier's strictly prescribed rules. As Leth completes each challenge, von Trier creates ever more elaborate rules for the contest.
14Udo Kier, Kirsten Olesen, Baard OweMedea is a 1988 drama film directed by Lars von Trier. Based on the ancient Greek tragedy written by Euripides, it was written by Carl Theodor Dreyer, Preben Thomsen and Lars von Trier.
16Lars von Trier, Michael Elphick, Esmond KnightThe Element of Crime is a 1984 Danish art film co-written and directed by Lars von Trier. It is the first feature film directed by Trier and the first installment of the director's Europa trilogy. The other two films in the trilogy are Epidemic and Europa.More The Element of Crime- #16 of 18 onUnhinged Serial Killer Movies That Aren't Mainstream For A Reason
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17Lars von Trier, Jean-Marc Barr, Casper ChristensenThe Boss of It All is a 2006 Danish comedy film written and directed by Lars von Trier.
18Lars von Trier, Udo Kier, Ole ErnstEpidemic is a Danish science fiction horror film of 1987 directed by Lars von Trier, the second installment of Trier's Europa trilogy. The other two films in the trilogy are The Element of Crime and Europa. Co-written by Trier and Niels Vørsel, the film focuses on the screenwriting process. Vørsel and Trier play themselves, coming up with a last-minute script for a producer. The story is inter-cut with scenes from the film they write, in which Trier plays a renegade doctor trying to cure a modern-day epidemic. The film marks the first in a series of collaborations between Trier and Udo Kier.
19A Chess Game
A Chess Game is a 1969 short film written and directed by Lars von Trier.
20Josh Brolin, Lars von Trier, Golshifteh FarahaniTo Each His Own Cinema is a 2007 French anthology film commissioned for the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival. The film is a collection of 34 short films, each 3 minutes in length, by 36 acclaimed directors. Representing five continents and 25 countries, the filmmakers were invited to express "their state of mind of the moment as inspired by the motion picture theatre". The film's subtitle reads "a declaration of love to the big screen".- #10 of 17 onThe Best Movies Directed by Jane Campion
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21A Dead Boring Experience
A Dead Boring Experience is a 1969 short film written and directed by Lars von Trier.
22A Flower
A Flower is a 1971 short film written and directed by Lars von Trier.
23Lars von Trier, Jesper Hoffmeyer, Beate KoppThe Orchid Gardener is a 1977 experimental film with a mysterious and symbolic plot directed by Lars von Trier.
24Brigitte Bardot
25Dogville: The Pilot
Dogville: The Pilot is a 2003 short drama film written and directed by Lars von Trier.
26D-dag - Lise
D-dag - Lise is a 2000 crime film directed by Lars von Trier.
27Nocturne
Nocturne is a short drama film directed by Lars von Trier.
28The Trip to Squash Land
The Trip to Squash Land is a 1967 short film written and directed by Lars von Trier.
29Dimension 1991-2024
Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier, Jean-Marc BarrDimension is a short film written and directed by Lars von Trier, released in 2010. The film was shot from 1991 to 1997. The original intention was to continue production in three-minute segments every year for a period of 33 years for a final release in 2024. However, von Trier lost interest in the project and it was shelved. The short film consists of the completed footage at the time the film was abandoned.
30D-dag
Alexander SkarsgårdD-dag - Niels-Henning is a 2000 television film directed by Thomas Vinterberg.
