Vendetta Films has today released the official trailer for Went Up the Hill, the latest from Sequin in a Blue Room director Samuel Van Grinsven. The genre-blurring ghost story is set to hit Australian cinemas on 28 August 2025.
Starring acclaimed European actor Vicky Krieps (Corsage, Phantom Thread) alongside Australian star Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things, Elvis), Went Up the Hill made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, earning early critical praise.
More recently, it played to sold-out crowds at the Sydney Film Festival, and it’s also on the bill for this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival.
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Set against the eerie stillness of New Zealand’s South Island, the film follows Jack (Montgomery), a young man who travels to the remote region to attend the funeral of his estranged mother, Elizabeth.
There, he meets her widow, Jill (Krieps), and the two are soon entwined in a spectral struggle when Elizabeth’s spirit returns – not to be laid to rest, but to speak through the living.
Watch the official trailer for Went Up The Hill here:
Described by Van Grinsven as ‘an intimate ghost story that dances in the tension between genres,’ the film uses possession as a narrative device to explore themes of abandonment, suicide, and emotional entrapment.
‘It was inspired by nostalgic memories of my childhood in New Zealand’s remote South Island,’ he says. ‘The story reflects on the extremities of grief in our pursuit of letting go.’
Co-written by Van Grinsven and long-time collaborator Jory Anast, the film was produced under the Causeway Films banner, with support from the New Zealand Film Commission and Screen Australia.
Producers include Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton, known for Australian horror hits The Babadook and Talk To Me, and New Zealand’s Vicky Pope (Pike River).
Behind the camera, Went Up the Hill boasts a high-calibre creative team: Australian cinematographer Tyson Perkins (Mystery Road: Origin), editor Dany Cooper ASE (Breath), sound designer Robert Mackenzie (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), and production designer Sherree Philips (Babyteeth).
On the New Zealand side, veteran talents include costume designer Kirsty Cameron (The Power of the Dog), hair and makeup designer Stefan Knight (M3GAN), and art director Ben Milsom (Avatar: The Way of Water). The film’s score is by Hanan Townshend (Knight of Cups).
Went Up the Hill promises to bring psychological horror and emotional depth to audiences when it opens later this winter.
Went Up The Hill is in cinemas from 28 August.
