What Jack Built (2015)

“What is that thing Jack is building in his cellar? How could such a device be used? Perhaps it has something to do with that creature out in the woods…” [IMDb]

If we’ve learned anything from the culinary world (aside from how to make delicious food, of course), it’s that there is beauty in simplicity, and that an inviting and flavorful dish can be had with very few ingredients. In a similar vein, What Jack Built is the simple recipe that impresses. Co-written by director Matthew Mahler and producer Ross Mahler, this quick 11 minute short follows Jack in his pursuits to construct a somewhat large trap to capture a curious being. Starring sole actor Timothy J. Cox as Jack, this barebone production tells an interesting tale with an offbeat approach.

Amidst the clutter of his cellar, the film opens with Jack maniacally studying his blueprints as if he were a scientist experiencing a bout of insanity, completely engrossed with his work, and only stopping to flick his torch to flame his tobacco. Utilizing know-how and technology, Jack is soon putting in the elbow grease required to complete his project, hastily skimming, rummaging, and constructing as time appears to be of the essence.

Finishing all he could in his cellar, assembly is imminent and Jack transitions to the apparent labor-intensive phase of his build. Layering up before heading out into the chilly evening, he packs piece by piece into the woods and completes his contraption, all the while smoking like a chimney and anxiously looking over his shoulder the entire time.

After a dry-run proves successful, he strategically places a camera and heads home to monitor the area. Unfortunately for Jack, the waiting game is too much and he eventually nods off, but soon awakens to find his trap triggered. Did Jack capture the creature he so desperately sought? He soon finds out.

A lot can be said about What Jack Built, both good and bad. But given the obvious minimal resources used to make this film a reality, any sin committed is easily forgiven, and none of them are fatal.

Without doubt, the dialogue-free approach taken proved to be the correct decision for a one man show. The film is purely a visual and auditory experience from start to finish, and is pulled together by a strong individual performance from Cox. In addition, the creative camerawork (also by Matthew Mahler) hit all the right buttons and managed to showcase numerous emotions while adding emphasis throughout the timescale, and all is complemented by a solid soundtrack (again, by Matthew Mahler) that would feel at home in an 8-bit video game.

One thing of note that I also found to be impressive was the overall meticulousness. It is evident early on that the film isn’t set in the present day, but they went the extra mile to ensure that the on-screen props used were appropriate for the time period they attempted, successfully, to evoke. The planning and execution was masterful in this regard.

In all honesty, this film will keep you engaged from start to finish. It watches like one of those interesting random videos that we all seem to stumble upon from time to time online, and we just get lost in the fog waiting to see how it plays out. In a word, it’s mesmerizing, and in my opinion, that is an accomplishment in and of itself.

In sum, the film overcomes its circumstances with storytelling via camerawork, acting, and an intense soundtrack. What Jack Built perfectly illustrates just how far desire to create and imagination can go. Moreover, it’ll leave you with a small sugar rush of nostalgia with its callback to earlier days in a weird medley of silent era meets 80s horror, and you’ll be all the better for having watched it.

Stamper Score: 7/10.