Went Up the Hill
August 13th, 2025
MOVIE: WENT UP THE HILL
STARRING: DACRE MONTGOMERY, VICKY KRIEPS, SARAH PEIRSE
DIRECTED BY: SAMUEL VAN GRINSVEN
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 100 MINUTES
Recently on the podcast Talk Easy with Sam Fragosa, the guest was David Mamet, whose conversation ended in an explosive exit. Mamet stormed off like a petulant child after being questioned about his views on DEI, unable—or unwilling—to articulate his reasoning. Yet, one idea he shared resonated: that a filmmaker shouldn’t hold the audience’s hand.
Director Samuel Van Grinsven’s Went Up the Hill exemplifies this philosophy. It’s a haunting and intimate two-hander that resists easy explanations, submerging us in a story about grief, connection, and the supernatural. The film trusts the audience to interpret its meaning, and that’s what makes it so affecting.
It opens with Jack (Dacre Montgomery), a man in his thirties, arriving at a secluded home for the funeral of a mother he barely knew. He was invited by her widow, Jill (Vicky Krieps), but upon arrival, his presence is unwelcome—his aunt Helen (Sarah Peirse) asks him to leave. Yet, something darker seems to be at play, and Jack stays.
Co-written by Van Grinsven and Jory Anast, the film explores grief through bursts of anger, sorrow, and eerie possession. It evokes the emotional depth of Ingmar Bergman’s Shame, focusing on two broken people confronting their past. Jill becomes possessed by her late wife, forging a connection with the son she never truly knew. Jack, in turn, becomes possessed by his mother, forced to face the wreckage of their relationship.
Van Grinsven subverts gender norms and narrative conventions, placing a woman inside a man’s body and allowing two queer characters to grapple with identity, pain, and catharsis. These themes are brought to life through stellar performances by Krieps and Montgomery, whose chemistry pulses with tension and vulnerability.
Went Up the Hill is not without its flaws—some pacing issues and occasional repetition—but these are outweighed by a sharp script, striking visuals, and emotional heft. It’s a ghost story that lingers, not just through its eerie atmosphere, but in the questions it leaves behind.
Ultimately, it’s a film about catharsis—the struggle to find peace with the past. The climb is steep, but the view at the top is worth it.
3 STARS
WENT UP THE HILL IS PLAYING IN SELECT THEATERS FRIDAY, AUGUST 15TH, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
