"As Above, So Below" (2014) REVIEW

Found-footage horror movie, anyone? No? Too cliche at this point?

As Above, So Below documents the journey of a group of excavators as they go through the catacombs that lie underneath Paris to search for the treasure know as The Philosopher's Stone. However, when the group attempt to go back up to the surface after recovering the Stone, things are different. Something threatens them, keeping them trapped, and using the nightmares of their past to manipulate them.

As mentioned, As Above, So Below is a found-footage horror movie, and it gets the basics right. The script for this film is, to be honest, rather intriguing. It's a combination of a treasure-hunter movie and a jump-scare horror film well blended together. The writer knows how not to give away too much information and leave just enough space to give the audience to come up with their own theories (so if you don't like those kind of movies, then you won't like this one).

Everything else is in the film fluctuates from mediocre to pretty well-done. The acting is on par, though at times a bit below. The lighting in the movie (or, more notably, the lack thereof) was well-executed, definitely keeping me at the edge of my seat. The sound? Oh my, the sound is amazing. Sound plays a pivotal role in horror movies and the director seems to acknowledge this factor because the sound design was extremely well-done. Seriously, I had goosebumps at times.

Overall, As Above, So Below is a decent found-footage horror movie, being better than The Blair Witch Project in my opinion. Is it worth a watch by all horror movie junkies, though? Unfortunately, it is not that good (but I would not mind watching it again).

3/5 Stars

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