As Above, So Below (2014)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- Determined to complete her deceased father’s work, a professor named Scarlett Marlowe (Perdita Weeks) sets out on a quest to find the philosopher’s stone, created by Nicolas Flamel. In Paris, Scarlett forms a team with her cameraman, Benji (Edwin Hodge) and a reluctant George (Ben Feldman). Needing further help to navigate the catacombs, where the stone is located, Scarlett persuades Papio (Francois Civil), Souxie (Marion Lambert), and Zed (Ali Marhyar) to join her team as guides, promising the trio half of the storied treasures. 

Strange occurrences disrupt the group’s quest to find the philosopher’s stone, escalating to a life-or-death struggle to survive, when Papio’s old friend, La Taupe (Cosme Castro) appears. 

My Thoughts- Scarlett is haunted by her father’s suicide, believing she could’ve done more to save him. Finding the philosopher’s stone is really the only form of redemption she has left to honor her father. George clearly wants nothing to do with Scarlett, when they reunite. Their relationship and how it ended left a bad taste in his mouth, but under extreme and unprecedented circumstances, George and Scarlett reconcile towards the end.

Scarlett is a daredevil. She takes bold risks, and you could say Scarlett is reckless, but it’s understandable. Coping with the deaths of loved ones and trying to move on is the foundation for As Above, So Below’s story. A parent committing suicide is a deep wound that truly never heals, so it’s easy to understand Scarlett’s fierce firmness to finish the quest. 

Teamwork! There’s usually that one obnoxiously selfish character in horror movies, or any kind of movie, who’s determined to screw everyone else over to survive, when things go south. EVERYONE works together to try and help each other out in As Above, So Below. Are the rescue attempts successful? For the most part, the simple answer is no. The survival rate is low. Still, there’s a strong and refreshing no man or woman left behind mentality amongst the main characters here. 

John Erick and Drew Dowdle did a good job of smoothly weaving Papio, George, and Scarlett’s tragedies into a handful of the eerie scenes throughout the movie. The grisly sight of Scarlett’s father and his hanging corpse, George seeing visions of his dead brother, and George franticly sifting through the bones to try and save his ghost from drowning. Papio being pulled into the burning car was a real jaw dropper. A good surprise, because it’s not so easy to predict what’s going to happen, when you see the car engulfed in flames, and Papio’s legs sticking out the ground is truly a freaky visual.

The group faces tougher emotional challenges, as they go deeper into the catacombs. There’s a full circle moment towards the end, when Scarlett realizes herself, George, and Zed have to forgive themselves and move on. In a way, they were all trapped in their own personal versions of hell for years. Scarlett urging George and Zed to literally take a leap of faith together to escape works for a satisfying ending, because facing your demons plays a big role in As Above, So Below’s story.

One big problem that drives me nuts about this one revolves around the unknown young woman, who constantly pops up throughout the movie. She makes her first appearance at the club, where she constantly stares at Benji’s camera with that weird blank look on her face. Why is she consistently wearing all white? Why is she targeting Benji? Why is she holding a presumably dead baby? Is there a reason why she’s seemingly the leader of that cult in the catacombs? The mysterious woman is an important character. She’s directly responsible for Benji’s death, but they don’t give any hints or clues about who she is, what she does, or why she’s stalking the group. 

And why is the group blindly trusting La Taupe to guide them through the catacombs? He’s obviously a demon, or a malevolent ghost, a deceiver, who’s leading them to certain doom. It’s painfully obvious he’s not the same guy Papio remembers. La Taupe’s odd mannerisms and his spaced-out facial expressions are dead giveaways. 

It’s a found-footage film, so of course you have to expect a lot of shaky cam. But there’s always a logical reason for recording, or seeing things from unusual angles. Finding the philosopher’s stone is an important discovery. Everything SHOULD be recorded, so it makes sense for everyone to wear GoPro headbands. The way As Above, So Below is presented, you’re lead to believe you’re watching a documentary that devolves into chaos in real time, adding some realism to the movie. 

The thrills during the home stretch were fantastic. After three deaths from the main cast of characters, you could buy into the possibility of anyone dying. A lot of believable close calls, including that creepy moment, when one of the hooded figures dressed in all black slowly stands up, revealing his pale white and disfigured face. 

It’s not perfect, but As Above, So Below is still a good found-footage horror film. Consistently tense, some genuinely spooky sequences, gnarly visuals (Scarlett struggling to escape the pool of blood), a solid cast, and an effective usage of claustrophobia. The darkness, the tight spaces, and Edwin Hodge selling Benji’s hysteria and panic for being stuck, while trying to climb is one of best scenes here, because it felt real, and you definitely wouldn’t want to be in Benji’s position. 

The emotional layer is relatable. Dealing with the deaths of loved ones is an agonizing process, so you can understand what Scarlett and the others were going through. As Above, So Below is truly an underrated found-footage film, and a gem for an overly crowded sub-genre. I’m also glad they went with a complete ending. No cheap cliffhangers, and it’s an appropriate ending for a movie that’s ultimately about finding closure. 

Rating- 8/10