In the old nursery rhyme, Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. In the Samuel Van Grinsven drama “Went Up the Hill,” characters named Jack and Jill have their own business on that hill, and it does involve water, but it’s a lot more complicated than that. .

The movie called “Went Up the Hill,” which had its world premiere on Thursday during the opening night of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, is a ghost story with roots in children’s doggerel, a tale of possession that runs on mood, not scares. The second feature from the New Zealand-born director Van Grinsven, the film is ferociously atmospheric, exquisitely creepy and languid to the point of obsession.

It’s spooky, to be sure, and full of often malignant spirits, but it steers well clear of any horror movie tropes. Instead, it’s a disquieting study...