A sombre ghost story like you’ve never seen.
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Jack and Jill went up the hill,
To mourn their mother/lover.
She came to Jack in his dream,
And Jill soon saw her after.
Up Jack got in a daze,
Unsure of what has happened––
Went to bed in a haze,
To repeat the ghostly moment.
Jill too slept and dreamed,
A painful past reminder––
Her lover that once seemed,
To hold a darkness inside her.
Written and directed by Samuel Van Grinsven, Went Up The Hill stars Dacre Montgomery and Vicky Krieps as Jack and Jill respectively. Their connection is a recently deceased Elizabeth––Jack’s mother and Jill’s wife. Set in the picturesque mountain range of New Zealand, with a minimalist cut and frigid colour palette, this psychological drama takes you on a 100-minute slow burn hypnotic ride that’ll keep you in a daze long after the credits have rolled.
The film explores the process of grief from different perspectives –– Jack’s (who’s never met his mother) and Jill’s (a heartbroken lover). Through Elizabeth’s ghost that visits when either are asleep, Jill’s process of remembering her late wife becomes Jack’s way of getting to know his dead mother. It’s all very solemn and fine until this unseen character proves to be not quite what she seems. Here is where this supposedly beautiful ghost story folds into horror territory.
Elizabeth was fighting demons that made her an abusive mother and dominant lover. Giving 'possession' two meanings in this film, her presence isn't a means to console her grieving widow but a haunting to poison Jill’s will into joining her in the afterlife.
The quiet moments void of dialogue are stunning scenes of performative art between Montgomery and Krieps. Each showcasing powerful and nuanced performances both individually and as a pair. It’s breathtaking to watch their push-and-pull, give-and-take dynamic that captivates a still audience.
Went Up The Hill is an unconventional ghost story that is haunting in both equal parts terror and beauty. It’s a rare delicate piece of quiet artistry that belongs in the cinema for its atmospheric tension alone. Don’t miss your chance to experience it.
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