Went Up the Hill: AFF Review
★★★★☆
Image Credit: The Hollywood Reporter
Causeway Film’s newest upcoming film Went Up the Hill first premiered at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and more recently had its Australian Premiere at the Adelaide Film Festival (AFF). Directed by Samuel Van Grinsven, Went Up the Hill is an original and intimate take on the traditional ghost story. The film follows Jack (played by Dacre Montgomery) as he visits New Zealand for the funeral of his estranged mother. Upon his arrival, Jack is introduced to his mother’s widow, Jill (played by Vicky Krieps). Living under the same roof, the pair shortly realise that his mother’s spirit has returned to inhabit them, and her intentions are less than pure.
Dacre Montgomery, most well-known for his role as Billy Hargrove in Netflix’s Stranger Things, delivers a fantastic performance in his role as Jack, and his mother. His role as Jack is Montgomery’s most complex and emotionally charged role to date and he has, to no surprise, played it perfectly. He hits every emotional beat that the story commanded, and it is extremely evident that he has a strong connection with his character which enhances the audience’s experience of the film.
Vicky Krieps’ performance as Jill and Jack’s mother was just as captivating. Well-known for her roles in Phantom Thread (2017) and Old (2021), Krieps has found herself in a flurry of projects as of recently. As well as Went Up the Hill she has also starred in feature film About a Hero released this year and has 4 more upcoming projects in 2025. She embodied the character of Jill with such a fantastic attention to detail that her representation of Jack’s mother’s spirit within Jill was even more impressive. To be able to portray two distinctly different characters interchangeable is a difficult skill but there is no doubt that both Krieps and Montgomery have it.
Image Credit: Adelaide Film Festival
Went Up the Hill finds success in its performances, but it also finds success in the stunning work of cinematographer Tyson Perkins. The beauty of this film begins with the alternative 4:3 aspect ratio rather than the normal 1.85:1 widescreen or the anamorphic 2.39:1 widescreen ratio. This choice amplifies the symmetry present in a majority of the shots and the art of what to include vs not include within frame that this film, in my opinion, mastered. Complementary to the cinematography is the colour grading. Head of Colour Grade, Jeremy Howdin and Production Designer Sherree Phillips did a fantastic job with establishing a consistent colour palette for the film. The grade maintains a cool edge, even in scenes where warmer colours are present, which assists the narrative nicely.
Van Grinsven explores the extremities of grief through the possession of Jack and Jill in a manner that is so haunting yet beautiful. Throughout the narrative, the audience learns alongside Jack of the abuse he was subject to as a young child in flashes, with it being revealed that this abuse was at the hand of his mother. Jack struggles with accepting this and grapples with the reality that he was taken by child protective services as a child due to his mother’s abuse. However, Jack was not alone in his experience, with Jill being a victim to his mother’s abuse within their marriage. The representation of domestic violence and childhood abuse is handled by Van Grinsven with the care and sensitivity that it demands.
Went Up the Hill is hauntingly beautiful in its depiction of grief and, with an aesthetic to match, there is no doubt that this film is going to find success when it has its theatrical release. At this point in time there is no confirmed release date however it is believed to be sometime in 2025. The film’s themes of domestic violence and abuse may not make it a suitable watch for all audiences, but if you are in a position to watch this film, I highly recommend it.
Image Credit: Screen Australia