The Strange Ghost Story is nothing like your typical horror thriller

Went up the hill
is a different kind of ghost story. It haunts its characters physically and psychologically, forcing them to face their trauma. The film, directed by Samuel van Grinsven, who co-wrote it with Jory Anast, takes a nuanced look at generational trauma and asks if it can really be stopped. The letters in its center – Jack (Stranger things‘ Dacre Montgomery) and Jill (Vicky Cripps) – deal with the death of a loved one, but the story is just as much about grief as it is about abuse.

Went up the hill It captures all that and more in a chilling film filled with plenty of emotional depth and strange events, like a warped ghost sex scene that is one of the most uncomfortable I’ve seen on screen. But for all its compelling characters, story and set-up, Van Grinsven is guilty of dragging things out unnecessarily. This, among other things, hinders the film and undercuts its effectiveness.

The film is titled after the famous nursery rhyme, although I am still pondering its connection to the actual story. Jack arrives in New Zealand to attend the funeral of his estranged mother Elizabeth. He claims that Jill, his mother’s wife, called and told him to come. Helen (Sarah Pearce), Jack’s aunt, is mute and angry. She doesn’t want Jack there, though the reason is revealed later. Jill convinces Jack to stay, and claims that Elizabeth is still around. At night, Elizabeth can own them separately. Although there is some closure, the ghost’s intentions prove more deadly than initially believed.

Up the hill is able to deal with its subject

The film is pretty dark, and there is no levity to lighten the darkness. The concept itself is creative and the ghost story, unsettling as it is, is generally well handled, except for a few cases. Went up the hill Is not only crude and sometimes violent, it is emotionally raw, especially since both of its characters are dealing with a grief that is still really fresh. Like an open wound, it stings, and they can’t help but push into it regardless of how it makes them feel.

The ghost story of possession—literally and figuratively—is personal and often quite surprising. It allows the main characters to figure out their complicated feelings for Elizabeth, who was an abusive parent and partner. It is an intimate story that examines the effects of abuse, although it is nuanced in its portrayal. Elizabeth was loved despite her actions and Van Grinsven wasn’t so quick to paint her as a one-dimensional bad person. however, Went up the hill is impressive because it explores abuse from the points of view of Jack and Jill.

Their pain, love, and generally conflicted feelings are given a lot of weight and exploration. Jack, in particular, had a hard time embracing the woman whose love he wanted more than anything else in life. Memories return to him from his past, and Elizabeth’s night possession forces him to figure out who she was and how she treats him. These moments, and the way Jill and Jack work to comfort each other while facing such hard truths, are the strength of the film. Went up the hill Delves deep into their pain, and we feel it together with them.

Going up the Hill’s flashbacks and overlong story undermines its power

There’s a lot I like about the Eerie Ghost story, and much of that lies with the setting and character interactions, as well as the way the coolness of Jill’s home adds to the sinister spectral experience. But Went up the hill Has its fair share of flaws. The film relies heavily on flashbacks to Jack’s past with his mother to drive home the message of abuse and the way it warps love, but the ending would have been much stronger without it.

Jack’s memory of hugging his mother goodbye was a powerful flashback that paired well with the scene it was part of. Every flashback after that felt tacked on and repetitive. The ghost trying to harm Jack and Jill through possession was also repetitive and was more than necessary. At one point, I thought Went up the hill Was endless, only for it to continue for another 15 minutes or so. The constant return of the film to the ice, or to certain points that have already been touched, made it a bit of a slot to sit through near the end.

and yet, Went up the hill is a film that I thought about more than I thought I would. It stayed with me and Van Grinsven’s execution of the story, although weak at points, is emotionally gripping. The film, which boasts moving performances by Krieps and Montgomery, can be a poignant journey about breaking the cycle of abuse, the complex relationship that exists between an abuser and their victim, and finding closure and healing through grief.

Went up the hill Premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is 100 minutes long and not yet rated.