In February 2017, von Trier explained in his own words that "The House That Jack Built" "celebrates the idea that life is evil and soulless, which is sadly proven by the recent rise of the "Homo trumpus" – the rat king". The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2018. Despite more than 100 walkouts by audience members when initially screened at the Cannes Film Festival, the film still received a 10-minute standing ovation.