A found footage that follows a descent into hell on a quest to find eternal life. 

• Entertainment factor: ★★★★★
• Scare factor: ★★★★☆
• Surreal factor: ★★★★☆
• Claustrophobic factor: ★★★★★
• How shaky is the camera? Not too bad

As Above So Below is a found footage film with mystical and occult elements that combines adventure with a pivotal background story of the main character. It has a strong female lead character who isn’t afraid to find the truth. Her journey leads her and her friends on a journey through the gates of hell into a hellish landscape mirroring life. 

It stars Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman, Edwin Hodge, Francios Civil, Marion Lambert, Ali Marhyar. Directed by John Erick Dowdle. Written by John Erick Dowdle, Drew Dowdle. 

Duration: 1h 33m

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Plot

Scarlett Marlowe is professor at University College London. She has a Ph.D. in urban archeology, a master in chemistry and another Ph.D. in symbology. And she is a black belt in krav maga. She is in search of the Philosopher’s Stone just like her father was. After he had killed himself, she continues his quest. 

It first leads her to Iran to examine a stone that hides the key to translating alchemist symbols. She needs this key to translate an ancient stone. At the grave of Nicolas Flamel a famous alchemist who supposedly had achieved to create the Philosopher’s Stone, his tombstone is a puzzle that will lead to a secret chamber in the catacombs of Paris. 

She asks the help of George, her ex-boyfriend, who can translate Aramaic, and thus the key. He agrees but when she wants to search in the catacombs he refuses to come along. Together with Benji, who is making a documentary about her quest, and three cataphiles, sort of cavers and experts of the catacombs, she descents deep into the belly of the catacombs to find a secret chamber. As the police arrives George is forced to come along.

It leads them on a mystical journey where reality seems to be altered and soon they seem lost. Until they encounter a long lost cataphile who entered the so-called evil tunnel and never came out. Now he is leading them towards the secret chamber where they find treasure and the Philosopher’s Stone.  

But when they open the gate to the treasure, it’s a trap that locks them in, forcing them to find another way out. A way that leads them to the gate of hell. Upon entering they find themselves in a surreal nightmarish world where they are confronted by their sins and regrets. 

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Short Review

First of all, this film is shot in the actual catacombs of Paris. It was the first film that got permission to film in the public area, but also in the closed off sections. That makes it all the more realistic and scary. The bones you see are real, as are the tunnels even the ones that were full of water, as are the chambers, but the crew brought in a real piano. 

Nicolas Flamel also existed in real life. He lived from 1340 to 1418, which made him 78 when he died, pretty old for the Middle Ages. The myth that he succeeded to create the Philosopher’s Stone is also real. He was a very rich man and used it for charity.

It always adds value when a story like this, especially a found footage film is based on truths and true rumored stories and shot on the real actual location.

Scarlett is a very smart, intelligent woman. She is determined, not afraid and it seems like she only cares to find the truth. She has many qualities that come in handy when she has to solve puzzles, find clues and being inventive to get to her goal. But not despite everything. She is also a rock when others are in trouble, stays with them, does anything to help them and even risks her own life to save a friend. 

She is a great protagonist, full of power, determination, empathy and intelligence, and a female Indiana Jones. She also has a background story that is the drive of the story. Her father, mentally unstable, didn’t finish his quest, but instead hanged himself and there is more to it than that, which has to do with Scarlett herself. Things she encounters in the catacombs remind her of that. But her quest also gets a lot of people hurt and worse. 

While Benji holds the main camera, others have small cameras attached to their head light. Benji’s camera is the most stable one and used for some bigger shots and also smart shots to create jump scares and uncanny images. The other cameras move with the heads of those who are wearing it and that has a different effect and is especially effective when they are panicking and when there’s a lot of chaos, emphasized by their movements. This creates a full array of footage that offers different perspectives, effects and styles. 

The film is neatly build into a coherent story. We follow Scarlett from Iran to Paris and recruiting the people she needs to achieve her goal. Meanwhile is is already solving puzzles, riddles and analyses symbols with the help of her father’s journal. Until then it’s an adventure but when they descent into the catacombs, slowly surreal, eerie things start happening. With a great atmosphere, actually scary jump scares, the claustrophobic vibe and strange things that they encounter and are happening, this film offers good diverse horrors. While not everything gets explained fully, the heart of the story becomes clear in the last part of their journey. 

Spoilers + Explained

The hell they descent is an exact mirror of their journey. But filled with their regrets and sins. With cloaked creepy men roaming this hell, people in stone who burst from the cave walls, and physical encounters with those regrets and sins, it’s their personal hell. It’s holding up a mirror, just like the mirror in the tableau where the Stone was embedded. It forces them to really look at themselves and to face what they might have done wrong. The mirror plays an important, and symbolic part of the story and is also the key to redemption. Just as their last leap of faith. The mirror shows her that the Stone is herself. Its power comes from within from her own belief, faith and mind. It allows her to heal George. It also symbolizes that healing, redemption and forgiveness comes from within. To find a way out they have to crawl down to go up which is a very original and fun idea.

It’s a very mystical story where symbolism is at the surface, turning it into a horror adventure with occult and mystical elements. Eventually it’s a story about sins, regrets, and redemption. She learns not only what the Philosopher’s Stone actually stands for, but she also learns a lot about herself, things she has to admit to find real knowledge. 

As Above So Below is a satisfying found footage horror that has a lot to offer and is based in real history.