Perhaps you've heard about a few of the choicest moments in Lars von Trier's latest: the most literal definition of the term "cock block" ever, countless money shots of Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg doin' it, and a vulva-ectomy performed with rusty scissors. Maybe you read about the booing of Antichrist at Cannes, followed by von Trier boasting, "I'm the best director in the world." All of this is titillating, sure, but to label Antichrist as misogynistic provocation is a disservice to the film, which is curious and mesmerizing and excruciatingly painful to watch. It's a shame that Antichrist is so viscerally unpleasant, because von Trier has created a complex, richly detailed work that would very much benefit from multiple viewings... but then again, there is that bit with the rusty scissors. by Courtney Ferguson