Reviews: As Above, So Below (2014) Movie Review
Genres: Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Fantasy
Subgenres: Found Footage, Survival, Confined, Dangerous Exploration, Hell
HellHorror’s review of As Above, So Below (2014) breaks down the plot, scares, cast performances, and its lasting impact on the horror genre.
As Above, So Below (2014) is an American horror found footage movie that did not stand up to my expectations. Director and co-writer John Erick Dowdle (Devil (2010), Quarantine (2008), The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007)) failed at executing this movie because the storyline had potential. The movie contains about two scares, some suspense, loud sound effects, tension, eerie, spooky chanting, disaster and rats. Twenty-something treasure hunters found an inscription that says “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here," in the Paris catacombs.
Scarlett (Perdita Weeks - Prowl (2010), Hamlet (1996), The Invisible Woman (2013)) had a doctorate from University College London and wore a headscarf as she explored a cavern in Iran that is off limits. She is on a mission to fulfil her dead father’s (committed suicide) expedition of finding the legendary Philosopher’s Stone that gives eternal life, has healing powers and can turn items into gold. The team believes the gates of hell are just about 100 feet below Paris. Scarlett has a black belt, is fluent in six languages and a crush on George. Scarlett recruited two members to join her. George (Ben Feldman - Friday the 13th (2009), Cloverfield (2008), The Perfect Man (2005)), who is also known as Ginsberg on Mad Men, is a clockmaker and speaks Aramaic. Benji (Edwin Hodge - The Purge (2013), Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995), Red Dawn (2012)) is the cameraman that has to keep filming no matter what happens. Scarlet discovers the Paris catacombs that contain over six million dead people’s bones which were buried in the 19th century. Scarlett, Benji and Ben recruit the help of three more people Papillon (Francois Civil - Frank (2014), Elles (2011), Molière (2007)), Souxie (Marion Lambert) and Zed (Ali Marhyar - Zero Dark Thirty (2012), Elles (2011), 18 Years Old and Rising (2011)) who are all French. The situation for the six treasure hunters got out of hand as they went deeper underground.
It was weird when a crazy looking guy named "The Mole" (Cosme Castro) pops up whenever seems fit for him and then the crew speaks to him in English. It was even crazier when all the characters had to face their inner demons or what they fear the most in life. I would not be exploring a cave with water up to my waist, narrow walls/pathways, low ceilings, collapsing ceilings, walls breaking/crumbling on you and a bossy boss. There was not many scares in this movie - maybe two scares. The cinematography was not good; the found footage was way too shaky and the actors did not help the movie much. I did love the sets that we got to see, the real Paris catacombs and the Right Bank cathedral was beautifully done, and it made me give this move one score higher. I gave this movie a five because it had a nice concept but failed on execution. I would not advise you to go to the movie theaters to see this catacombs movie. It will be a nice watch for you when it comes out on Netflix or VOD.
Sources Used to Shape This Review
Insights in this review are drawn from director interviews, fan commentary, production notes, and long-form breakdowns across genre-specific platforms. Content is written uniquely and reviewed for accuracy.
- As Above, So Below Rating Scores
- Our Score: 5/10
- Overall Score: 4.57/10
- IMDB: 6.3/10
- MetaCritic: 3.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 2.8/10
Look here for more movies starting with A and here you can find 2014 movies to watch on your favorite streaming service.
Related Article: AS ABOVE SO BELOW (2014) Ending Explained Video
Browse More: Horror Movies 2014 / Horror Movie Quotes