AS ABOVE/SO BELOW – The Review

Often in films of this nature, the vapid group of overly curious teenagers delves into seemingly dangerous territory for no particular reason and encounters a pack of vicious humanoid creatures or a bizarre underground cult. The fact that The Dowdle Brothers (John Erick and Drew both serving as writers with John Erik directing) avoid the low hanging fruit and strive to mix in some historical fantasy elements is an ambitious risk that mainly pays off. Our female lead Scarlett is much more than the requisite “final girl.” A more appropriate comparison could be to the video-game turned film character Lara Croft. Her knack for adventure and skills at puzzle-solving make AS ABOVE/SO BELOW a claustrophobic adventure film melded with a psychological horror film, all led by a young Tomb Raider apprentice.

Scarlett Marlowe (Perdita Weeks) is following in the footsteps of her father in the search of an ancient relic called the philosophers’ stone. Her quest has led her from illegally crossing the border into Iran to ultimately discovering a hidden chamber below the streets of Paris – long unexplored due to a street collapse century’s prior. Through the help of a documentarian, a past friend and former colleague, and a band of Parisian cave explorers, the group descends down into the depths of the historic catacombs under Paris.

Horror films require the audience to give into the antics on-screen. Found footage films especially require the audience to accept certain angles and logic behind some actions – never mind the question of whom exactly is editing this footage. AS ABOVE is no different. But even beyond the requisite horror excuses, there’s a fantasy/magical element included here that some viewers will not fully embrace or even attempt to understand. However, a keen understanding of what exactly is going on is counter-productive with a film like this. The Dowdle Brothers are interested in using the creepy setting of the underground tunnels as a stage for bizarre dreamlike horror not that unlike what Italian director Lucio Fulci did in the early 80’s with films like THE BEYOND and CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD. Cloaked figures, a car set ablaze, and an extremely unnerving ringing telephone all amount to some clever and surrealistic scares that seem even more strange and chill-inducing given that we see them all hundreds of feet underground. An attention to building atmosphere takes precedence over jump-scares; but make no mistake, there are a few pop-up scares that feel slightly cheap given how telegraphed they are before their arrival.

Once it becomes apparent that the group (or what surviving members are left) are crossing the threshold of hell, the theme of past demons and “personal hell” gives meaning to some of the images that came before. A hanging noose and a lonely boy become signs of past mistakes and regret. The young European cast makes the intensity of the situation feel that much more real and even gives us a reason to not want to see them just picked off one by one like you feel in some slasher films. Our intrepid guide played by Perdita Weeks is especially strong in carrying us through this journey. AS ABOVE/SO BELOW is a fast-paced adventure into hell. Horror fans expecting a basic claustrophobic “figures in the dark” feature may find themselves stumbling a bit in the dark. While the nature of the film (especially the found footage angle) creates some shaky moments in both style and story, I gave into the fun and found this to be one of the best and most ambitious found-footage horror films in recent years.

Overall: 4 out of 5

AS ABOVE/SO BELOW is now in theaters everywhere