Unnerving Nursery Rhymes Recreated in Haunting Feature Film

"Jack and Jill" is a familiar nursery rhyme that has taken a haunting turn in the movie "Went Up the Hill". Along with being a nursery rhyme, the title also designates the complex characters created by writer-director Samuel Van Grinsven in his somber and serious exploration of love, grief, and unresolved issues. Dacre Montgomery and Vicky Krieps portray Jack and Jill in highly nuanced performances, subtly hinting at physical and metaphorical hauntings through shifts in facial expressions, body language, and speech patterns.

The ghost haunting Jack and Jill happens to be the same - a talented artist named Elizabeth who was Jill’s late wife and Jack’s distant mother. The actors' tasks are made even more complex as they not only portray their characters, but also echo Elizabeth and each other. This harmonization of performances makes the detection of their subtle character shifts a captivating exercise for audiences.

Elizabeth's ghost never corporeally appears in the movie, but her spirit pervasively haunts the entire somber story. This eerie tale, co-written with Jory Anast, is not a supernatural horror despite its haunting theme and occasional chills. Rather, it is reminiscent of Joanna Hogg’s “The Eternal Daughter” or the Rudyard Kipling story “They”, in that it is more about remorse and deep sadness than jump-scares.

Although, the depth of expression in Grinsven’s film does not quite match the aforementioned stories, the cold and wild visuals skilfully captured by Tyson Perkins and the nuanced performances of the lead actors compensate for this.

The film starts with Elizabeth’s funeral in a secluded New Zealand house, amidst breathtaking vistas. The lonely atmosphere, amplified by the choicest location and eerie sound design, sets the stage for Jack's unexpected arrival. The story progresses through intriguing twists and turns as Jack and Jill discover more about each other and their shared connection through Elizabeth, all within the starkly decorated setting of Jill’s home, adding an intimate, stageplay quality to the film.

The hint of mistreatment in Jack’s past, suggestions that Elizabeth might be possessing Jack, and the evolution of Jack and Jill's relationship, all add layers to the story. The film is ultimately about human ways of grieving and the perception of Jack and Jill is given more importance than the actual existence of a ghost. Despite its subtlety, "Went Up the Hill" offers a deeply moving investigation into grief.