As Above So Below (2014) - Review
Originally published November 2018In an effort to find new and interesting horror movies to watch during the Halloween season, a found-footage film from 2014 was discovered by my girlfriend and added to my playlist. As Above So Below is an ambitious horror film that goes a lot further than what you might expect, on what I assume to be a low-budget. It's still a found-footage movie, so if that's not your thing, it may not suit you, but if you like the horror of that genre, or just enjoy a movie that involves archaeology and a representation of Hell, you might be into this.
As Above So Below is still a pretty flawed movie that takes a while to get going after the plot starts to take shape. As is typical of found-footage movies, you have to be patient with this one and wait for the last half-hour for things to really get going. Once it does, however, it all gets weirder and wilder than your typical Paranormal Activity experience.
Image: Universal Pictures
Pros
Some special effects look pretty good in the dim light
Archaeological adventure angle adds a layer of intrigue to the plot
Sometimes, there's some decent characterization
The occasional moment when details are intentionally left vague or ambiguous to allow the audience to fill in the gaps
Cons
Some dumb lines of dialogue
Characters are still pretty dumb and archetypal
Plot and moments still tend to be predictable; still a found-footage horror movie and does a lot of the usual tropes
A few too many monstrous things are shown more than they should be
Plot & Thoughts
As Above So Below follows the adventures of Scarlet (Perdita Weeks), a determined scholar who is obsessed with finding the legendary Philosopher's Stone. Her methods are unorthodox and dangerous in trying to uncover more about the myth, and she's developed a reputation for herself as a wild thing willing to take enormous risks. So much of a reputation, in fact, that a young independent filmmaker, Benji (Edwin Hodge), is making a documentary about her and her obsession. Whether Scarlet is actually a real archaeologist, or she's just trying to be a female Indiana Jones, doesn't really matter as far as the movie is concerned as it doesn't spend too much time dwelling on her legitimate credentials. However, the film is kind enough to exposit all the details about her physical fitness and fluency in different languages within the first 10 minutes, because that stuff will come in handy later when you're attempting to suspend your disbelief.
After the initial interview with Scarlet, a former fling of hers, George (Ben Feldman), is introduced as she attempts to convince him to join her expedition to find the stone. They bicker for a bit, and he pushes her away talking about how she's too dangerous to work with and crazy, but then she does the typical adventure movie thing of telling him that she found the missing clue they were both looking for. Sure enough, confirmation of their theories and a deep passion for archaeology is all it takes to get this guy back on board with her crazy plans, against his better judgment. After a few more scenes of rogue archaeology, further adding to the experience that is practically mimicking the first half of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, they decide to venture into the catacombs beneath Paris. So, they hire a young hoodlum called Papillion (François Civil), and his friends, to guide them with the promise of treasure, should they find it.
Image: Universal Pictures
Obviously, the bigger the expedition team, the bigger the body count. So you know that there's a good chance none of these guys are coming back out of the catacombs. George starts to wisen up a little bit and says he's not going, but then contrived reasons trap the team in the tunnels, forcing him to come along anyway. What follows is a slow and dreadful crawl through dark and cramped spaces. Much like other found footage movies, before you get to anything supernatural, there are plenty of real fears that the movie plays with first. There are scenes that focus on claustrophobia, getting lost, falling, and being crushed, to name a few.
When it finally starts to get to the supernatural elements, however, things really start to get wild. As Above So Below slowly ramps up the supernatural horror at a quiet, steady pace, and doesn't really stop until the end. This means, by the end, things are getting sufficiently nuts with a pretty cool representation of Dante's Inferno experience of people progressively getting deeper into hell. Since it's still a low-budget movie, the special effects can't get too crazy or surreal, but the filmmakers do a good job with what they have to work with.
Image: Universal Pictures
The main downsides with As Above So Below come in the ways you might expect from a movie like this. The acting isn't terrible, but the characters are still pretty one-dimensional and somewhat underdeveloped. Aside from Scarlet who comes to show off all her various talents and genius abilities by the end, everyone else is mostly expendable, for better or worse. They each have their own personal issue that you know is going to come up again at some point, especially when it comes to traversing hell. Some of these details are skillfully handled by only giving us a few vague details, while others are handled more clumsily with characters behaving stupidly and irrationally.
For every smart or skillful thing this film does that is clever or cool, it does something predictable or disappointing. There are a lot of good creepy things that happen, but then there are some things that shouldn't have been shown at all and take away from the atmosphere when you see too much. By the end, I'd say the scale of creepy to disappointing is still tipped in the movie's favor because it still manages to convey some cool concepts and moments with a limited scope and budget. You just have to be willing to suspend your disbelief a lot and enjoy the ride.
Image: Universal Pictures
TL;DR (Conclusion)
As Above So Below is a surprising film that manages to accomplish a lot more than you would expect of a movie its size or budget. The story is far more ambitious than the typical found-footage movie, with a unique hook of antediluvian archaeological adventures to keep the plot interesting and moving. While the occasional misstep in direction or in the script keeps it from being flawless, the movie still manages to be unsettling, disturbing, and intriguing the further it progresses.
Fan of death metal? Check out my band on Bandcamp and Soundcloud. If you like what you hear and want to hear more, head to HoundsofInnsmouth.com for more info!