Interview by Paul Salfen
– IN THEATERS AUGUST 15 –
In a candid conversation with AMFM’s Paul Salfen, Dacre Montgomery—best known for his breakout role in Stranger Things—opens up about his transformative experience starring in the haunting new film Went Up the Hill. Directed by Samuel Van Grinsven, this intimate ghost story set against the misty landscapes of New Zealand’s South Island explores themes of loss, trauma, and the struggle to break free from the past. Montgomery plays Jack, a man abandoned as a child who returns for his estranged mother’s funeral, only to encounter her widow, Jill (played by Vicky Krieps of Phantom Thread and Corsage), and the lingering spirit that binds them in unexpected ways.
Abandoned as a child, Jack (Dacre Montgomery, Stranger Things) travels to remote New Zealand for the funeral of his estranged mother, Elizabeth. There, he meets her widow, Jill (Vicky Krieps, Phantom Thread, Corsage), and over the nights that follow, Elizabeth’s spirit begins to possess them in turn. What starts as a search for closure soon unearths deeper wounds. Bound by grief and haunted by what remains, Jack and Jill must break free from Elizabeth’s grasp before she pushes them to the edge. Set against the deeply atmospheric backdrop of New Zealand’s South Island, Went Up the Hill is an intimate, modern ghost story from Samuel Van Grinsven that explores the legacy of loss and the struggle to let go.
Montgomery, who took a six-year hiatus from major roles, described the preparation process as intensely personal. “I’ve largely taken the last six years off,” he shared. “In prep for this film, I worked with the director every week on my core character, Jack. And then met up for what was supposed to be a week with Vicky and the director before we started shooting to rehearse Elizabeth, the character that we played together—my mother, her wife.”
What sets Went Up the Hill apart is its grounded take on the supernatural. Montgomery and Krieps approached it not as a horror film, but as a psychological drama about manifesting trauma. “Vicky and I were also like, we don’t see this as a supernatural film,” Montgomery explained. “We see it as a film where two people create this antagonist in their life and someone they love in their life to deal with their trauma that that person left them.” The duo’s unique challenge was embodying Elizabeth without mirroring each other exactly—no prosthetics, no identical voices—just raw emotion drawn from their own lives. “We were both bringing our own real world trauma to the characters, so that obviously helped significantly.”
The script’s arrival felt like destiny for Montgomery. “When I got this script, my partner and I had been together like eight years, and she, I got the script that I was crying like, this is it. This is what I’ve waited forever to do. If I never work again after this, I’m happy,” he recalled. His partner echoed the sentiment, marking it as a pivotal “Hail Mary” moment in his career. The filmmaking process itself became therapeutic: “It changed my life. Just the process of making the movie was so therapeutic and so cathartic to go on my own journey as Jack to discover what Jack was discovering in real time and go through my own trauma.”
Beyond the film, Montgomery offered sage advice for aspiring actors, drawing from his own hustle. “I always say to people, you just have to… watch a ton of movie and TV. That’s the biggest thing is like, you want to be in the industry, you kind of got to watch as much as possible,” he advised. Success, he emphasized, comes from specificity and hard work: “Anyone and everyone who I’ve met in any industry who’s successful is specific. They’re like super specific, super detail oriented and work super hard.”
Staying grounded amid Hollywood’s chaos? For Montgomery, it’s all about routine and self-care. A former “big kid” with anxiety, he credits his daily gym ritual as his anchor. “I get up at 5:00 every morning, I go absolutely destroy myself in the gym for an hour and a half because… that’s the only way I can process the day, my life. Make sense of my thoughts, where I want to go. What I want to do is go and meditate in the gym.”
At its core, Went Up the Hill tackles heavy topics like child abuse and domestic violence, but Montgomery hopes viewers find hope in its darkness. “There’s a way out. There is a way. There’s always a way. Find someone, talk to someone, use your support, use your networks to try and get out of the cycle that you’re in,” he urged. The film’s resolution, where characters break free from their haunting love-hate cycle, underscores this message of resilience.
Looking ahead, Montgomery teased his next project: a Gus Van Sant film alongside Al Pacino, Bill Skarsgård, and Colman Domingo. Based on a true 1970s hostage situation in Indianapolis, it’s set to hit festivals soon. “I’m really excited for people to see that as well,” he said.
Went Up the Hill is a must-watch for fans of atmospheric thrillers and emotional depth. Catch it in theaters or on streaming platforms—check local listings for availability. For more exclusive interviews and entertainment insights, stay tuned to AMFM Magazine.
