Went Up the Hill

Went Up the Hill is a meditation on how an unhappy life transcends death and continues to affect the living. This is a super low-key, atmospheric movie that affected me deeply, mostly because it touched on my own life experience. The film poses the question, "What if the pain of life doesn't end with death?"

I watched my abusive mother die a few years ago. Her wife and I were the only two people to experience this moment as she left the physical plane of existence. I had been emotionally estranged from my mom throughout my entire life and when she died, I felt nothing. Yet, somehow, even to this day, I feel a little possessed by her. The legacy a person leaves behind can manifest itself in many ways, good or bad, but when trauma is the primary component, it has the power to destroy the living if we allow it.

In Went Up the Hill, Jack (Dacre Montgomery, Stranger Things) shows up, seemingly uninvited, to his mother's funeral in New Zealand. He hasn't seen her since she left him as a young child. (Again dredging up memories of my own maternal abandonment.) He claims that Elizabeth's widow Jill (Vicky Krieps, Phantom Thread), called and invited him to attend the memorial. However, not only is Jill adamant that she never placed the call, she had no idea Elizabeth even had a son. It's clear that there's a lifetime of secrets and unhealthy relationships coming to the forefront of these characters.

Jill invites Jack to stay in the house with her so they can learn more about each other, their pasts, and unravel why they were so compartmentalized by a shared mom and wife. If it hasn't become apparent yet, there's a connection to their names, Jack and Jill, and the nursery rhyme associated with the title of the film. They are about to embark up a hill of unresolved grief and it's very possible the both could come tumbling down.

As Jack and Jill sleep, Elizabeth begins possessing each of them separately, sort of like a ghost. She inhabits one body, wakes up, and communicates with the other. There is no physical transformation and the characters use their own voices, shifting the intensity slightly and adjusting their mannerisms just enough to be unsettling.

As these nighttime interactions build and the story of Elizabeth begins to unfold, it becomes hauntingly clear that she's not here to help Jack and Jill heal, but rather to continue to be a destructive force from the grave. As with all abusive people, there's probably unresolved trauma of their own, but what if the victim allows themselves to be hurt in an attempt to prevent the abuser from hurting themselves? Again, this question had a chilling impact on me, thinking about my own suicidal mother. We want to desperately hold on to that part of the person who expressed love, no matter how small. If healing is going to happen, it must begin within ourselves.

Director Samuel Van Grinsven has crafted a quiet, beautifully photographed, mostly one-location film contrasting the gorgeous New Zealand landscape with Jill's cold, concrete home that feels like a tomb. Dacre Montgomery and Vicky Krieps sustain every scene, portraying their characters with sensitivity, love, and with an odd chemistry. It's a difficult challenge to essentially portray three characters with two actors.

Went Up the Hill is a very dialogue heavy, deliberately paced movie that will resonate with viewers who are open to, and can vibe with its dark, somewhat gothic themes and atmosphere. The entire film is about grief and trauma and there are some difficult moments of honesty to address. It all builds in intensity until the power of Elizabeth crosses into the physical realm in a thrilling and disturbing final act and finds the conclusion the story needs.

Personally, Went Up the Hill was a cathartic experience and one that will stick with me. If you like thought-provoking, indie drama-horror give this a watch. There's a lot of physical and emotional pain, but ultimately, this is a movie about healing.

8/10.