An intrepid archaeologist (Perdita Weeks), out to continue her late father’s legacy, journeys with a small group into the catacombs beneath the streets of Paris in search of mythical treasures. As they go deeper, and get lost, strange things start happening; and each of them must come to grips with secrets from their pasts still haunting them, in As Above, So Below.
John Erick Dowdle directed, returning to the claustrophobia, dark corners, and supernatural menace fans of Quarantine (2008) and Devil (2010) are familiar with — as well as the found-footage element from the former film.
Throw together The Descent (2005) and Blair Witch with a little bit of Barry Levinson’s Sphere (1998), and this is what you get, though a little less on the mark.
The handheld, faux-documentary approach is particularly onerous. Cinematography is so shaky, and close-ups so tightly framed, that it is hard to ascertain what exactly is happening in a given sequence. Police intercept the explorers suddenly and then disappear just as quickly.
A few setups are quite predictable: when our heroine needs cleaning product to decode a message on an artifact, some is fortunately a few feet away. And when considerable frame space is left wide open, you can be guaranteed something will jump out.
The majority of the effect in ‘As Above, So Below’ is achieved through jump scares and sound manipulation (booming and muffled). Despite an arguable overreliance on both, their execution is deft (the latter more so), compared to any framing or lighting.
The cast is entertaining at the very least, and interesting enough to follow through the caverns, wondering where they wind up next. Perdita Weeks especially is plucky in the lead, with more bravura than you might expect — even while she cajoles others for her own ends. It would be no surprise if this is her breakout role, or if she finds that role after this.
Critics aren’t sold so far, but they seldom are with horror. Diehards looking for the next cult fave, or something to pick apart, and regular moviegoers looking for a scare might flock to it. There is plenty for history buffs too in ‘As Above, So Below.’
This summer has been a slow season for movies, and Labor Day is slow in general. The weekend has often been the dumping ground for genre fare like As Above, such as the similarly structured Apollo 18 from 2009. If the latter is any indication then the Dowdles are bound to do decent business, in light of budget and competition.
