Director: John Erick Dowdle
Writer: Drew and John Erick Dowdle
Genre: Supernatural thriller, Found Footage, Psychological Horror
Starring: Marion Lambert, François Civil, Edwin Hodge, Ben Feldman, Perdita Weeks
Runtime: 93 minutes
Language: French, English
Box Office: 41.8 million dollars (against a 5 million dollar budget)
Filming Location: Paris, France (real Paris Catacombs)
Overview
As Above, So Below is a horror movie directed by John Erick Dowdle that entails supernatural themes intertwined with psychological horror. The film follows a group of explorers who go into the dimly lit Paris Catacombs, where they eventually discover more than what they initially set out to.
The film is based on real life alchemy and Dante’s Inferno and follows a group that sets out in search for the Philosopher’s Stone, but instead stumbles deeper into a hellish nightmare. What separates this film from others is the incorporation of actual places, as the cast and crew are said to have filmed inside the Paris Catacombs.
Despite receiving lukewarm feedback, As Above, So Below is regarded as a cult favorite because of its psychological horror, unique setting, and symbolic storytelling.
Plot Summary
Scarlett Marlowe (Perdita Weeks), an archaeologist and an obsessive overachiever, steps into the shoes of her father. Her lifelong work involves tracing the mythology around the Philosopher’s Stone which is said to provide alchemists with the ability to convert lead into gold and grant them immortality.
Having figured out the clues inscribed on the tombstone of Nicolas Flamel, Scarlett believes that Flamel’s philosopher’s stone is located in the fabled Catacombs of Paris, a cavernous passage containing the remains of over 6 million souls. Hence, she sets out to gather this team:
George (Ben Feldman) – A historian and linguist who reluctantly agrees to assist.
Benji (Edwin Hodge) – A documentarian who shoots the venture in a variety of stylistic ways.
Papillon (François Civil), Souxie (Marion Lambert), and Zed (Ali Marhyar) – “Cataphiles” exploring tourists who are aware of the subterranean tunnels.
What starts off as a thrilling quest becomes a full-blown horror show within no time. The deeper they go, the more disorienting the place becomes as they get stuck in alternate reality loops. They slowly begin to see terrifying images from the past, such as dead relatives, ghostly figures, and hearing twisted voices.
Scarlett comprehends that they are adventuring deeper which is vastly symbolic – they are quite literally descending through the Nine Circles of Hell. Each circle reveals their deepest guilt and shame. The supernatural forces are lairing tormenting the group catacomb, feasting on every single member one buy one until none is left.
In order to guide the group out of the catacomb, Scarlett must dive into her deepest forms of self acceptance and embrace the true power that lies within in order to unlock secrets of the Philosopher’s Stone. The viewer has more questions than answers: were they really able to escape in the end or were they prey from the very beginning.
Themes & Symbolism
- Dante’s Inferno & The Nine Circles of Hell
Each layer of the catacombs have a depiction of different sins and dreaded punishments. The film captures the essence perfectly ‘Inferno’ by Dante Alighieri. The deeper they travel into the catacombs, the greater the chances that their past sins undo them.
- The Philosopher’s Stone & Alchemy
The process of alchemy encompasses physical and spiritual changes which defines transformation. which emphasizes the message as facing self in order to redeem one self. It is more than just search for the stone, it is self redemption at its finest.
- The Influence of Regret and Guilt
All characters carry the burden of their unfinished acts and endeavors:
Regret on both givers brings forth Scarlett’s guilt over her father’s suicide.
George’s trauma from his younger brother who drowns.
Papillon’s past crime that, in turn, murdered an innocent man.
These forms of regrets are prepared for use against them. This reflects on the theme ‘you can never escape from your sins` .
Reflection Vs Hallucination & Universe Alteration
In some Parts of the show play, reflections and mirror imagery is incorporated as a portrayal of truth versus fiction. The further they dive down, the more intricate it becomes to tell fact from phantasmal delusions.
Performances & Analysis of Characters
Papillon as Scarlett Marlowe, Perdita Weeks.
Scarlett strikes me as possessive and intelligent but also fearless and ruthless to an extent where she becomes blind to the danger in front of her, She is an India Jones of today archetype who uses risk as an obsession, Perdita Weeks portrays this role exceptionally well through mastery of balance between confidence while vulnerable and madness starts overflowing.
Ben Feldman as George.
George serves as the logical and rational balance of the duo. He does not engage with the catacombs, and does not possess the traumas of his brother’s drowned. I wonder if that alters his relational dynamics with scarlett enabling him to be more emotionally inclined.
Edwin Hodge as Benji
Benji is the cameraman and serves as the audience’s perspective for much of the film. Because of the way he is starting to panic it makes him relatable to many characters throughout the story.
François Civil as Papillon
Papillon is a well-traveled explorer but is also a deeply flawed one, and his past transgressions have a way of revisiting him. His end, which is a fate of being consumed by earth in a volcanic chasm, indicates that he might have indulged in an insoluble misdeed.
Critical Reception & Box Office
Rotten Tomatoes: 28% (Critics) / 40% (Audience Score)
Metacritic: 39 (Mixed to Negative Reviews)
Box Office: $41.8 million worldwide (on a $5 million budget)
Positive Reviews:
✔ Excellent Innovative Elements – The Paris Catacombs are set as the background to give an authentic and claustrophobic feel to the movie.
✔ Deeper Themes – The film reaches beyond the conventional theme of found-footage horror by delving into psychological and symbolic issues.
✔ Creating Dread – The constant feel of tension, along with the disturbing sounds and visuals, gives a sense of dread which is nightmarish.
Criticisms:
❌ Excessive Found-Footage Style – Some audience members believed that the jittery camera style was too much to the point of losing focus and direction.
❌ Lack of Depth – This movie, other than Scarlett, has very few deeply written characters, thus making their demise rather dull.
❌ Ending without Resolution – The end remains obscure, which some viewers found unsatisfying.
Memorable Scenes & Most Frightening Moments
- Encounter with “Reflection Man” Came First
A catacomb figure peers within a mirror, serving as an omen towards the realities that await them above.
- Death of Papillon (Being Dragged Into the Ground)
A hole appears on the floor with him being dragged into it, leaving only his feet burning above it. Exactly how he left a fellow man to die in a raging fire many years before.
- The Room That Changed Gravity
A room that seems to defy gravity raises the question to the group of whether they are still within the real world or have descended into Hell.
- Scarlett’s Stone Chase
Now that Scarlett has come to realize the self-redemption, she must sprint through the possessed passages avoiding ghosts.
Production Notes and Behind-the-Scenes
Shooting In The Actual Paris Catacombs – The cast and crew shot on location making As Above So Below one of the few movies to have been permitted to film anywhere in the catacombs.
Least Amount of CGI – Practically all of the horror effects were real, which made it more realistic.
Occult Theories & Real Alchemy Inspired It – The connection of enchantment and The Philosopher’s Stone was extracted from aligned history and pseudo history.
Final Perspective: Should You Watch It?
✅ Watch it if you enjoy:
✔ Deeply immersive horror that induces claustrophobia (The Descent, REC)
✔ Crushing and deeply immersive narratives that alter one’s perception of reality (Event Horizon, The Blair Witch Project)
✔ Horror movies with intimidating myths and symbolism (The Ritual, The Empty Man)
❌ Skip it if you dislike:
✖ Found-footage or jittery camera work
✖ Stories that are rich in symbols and do not exercise directness
✖ Movies that build tension slowly without persistent frights from start to finish
Final Verdict: This film is a truly symbolic horror gem that is underappreciated.
Even if As Above, So Below does not fit the mold for a jump scare horror movie, its anthropological complexity, deeply claustrophobic nature, and psychological horror aspects make it appealing to lovers of intelligent horror.
