Taglines: The only way out is down.
Miles of twisting catacombs lie beneath the streets of Paris, the eternal home to countless souls. When a team of explorers ventures into the uncharted maze of bones, they uncover the dark secret that lies within this city of the dead. A journey into madness and terror, As Above, So Below reaches deep into the human psyche to reveal the personal demons that come back to haunt us all.
As Above, So Below is a 2014 American found footage horror film directed by John Erick Dowdle and written by Dowdle and his brother Drew. The film was produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Universal Pictures, making it the first film in Legendary’s deal with Universal. It was released in selected theaters on August 22, 2014, and everywhere on August 29, 2014.[5][6] The film stars Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman, Edwin Hodge, François Civil, Marion Lambert, and Ali Marhyar.
About the Story
Scarlett Marlowe (Perdita Weeks), a young alchemy scholar, continues her dead father’s (Roger Van Hool) work searching for the philosopher’s stone, a legendary alchemical substance said to be capable of turning base metals such as lead into gold or silver and grant eternal life, discovered by Nicholas Flamel. After finding the Rose Key in a cave in Iran, she travels to Paris. She then enlists the help of George (Ben Feldman), her former lover whom she abandoned in Turkey while in pursuit of the stone. Along with Benji (Edwin Hodge) the cameraman, they translate Flamel’s headstone, which contains a riddle that leads them to a point underneath the streets of Paris.
She then enlists the help of George (Ben Feldman), her former lover whom she abandoned in Turkey while in pursuit of the stone. Along with Benji (Edwin Hodge) the cameraman, they translate Flamel’s headstone, which contains a riddle that leads them to a point underneath the streets of Paris. She then enlists the help of a guide called Papillon (François Civil), his girlfriend Souxie (Marion Lambert), and friend Zed (Ali Marhyar) to search the Catacombs beneath Paris, France. George explicitly refuses to go, but is driven into the caves with the group when they are spotted by a policeman. After crawling through a narrow tunnel which collapses, they find themselves before a door that Papillion is reluctant to breach, as the only people who have gone through, including Pap’s friend the Mole (Cosme Castro), have never been seen again.
Early on in the venture, they encounter some female Cultists whom are singing and have possessed appearances. After proceeding deeper into the catacombs, they encounter the Mole, who agrees to guide them out, and informs them that the way out is down. They eventually find a tomb with a preserved Templar Knight, a mound of treasure, and the Flamel Stone. Removing the stone, Scarlett realizes too late that the treasure is a trap, and the room collapses. The Mole is lost under the rubble and is abandoned by the group.
With the Flamel Stone, Scarlett heals the group’s injuries. They find a drawing of a door on the ceiling along with a Gnostic Star of David, symbolizing “As above, so below,” meaning there is a door hidden in the floor. Going through the opening, they find a tunnel marked with the phrase “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here” in Greek, identical to the entrance to Hell.
Passing through, they find a dark reflection of the room they just left, including the Mole, who attacks and kills Souxie. They realize they must continue and go deeper. Along the way, Benji the cameraman is pushed to his death down a hole by the lead female cultist (Olivia Csiky Trnka), who caught his eye in Paris as well as while singing in the upper levels of the catacombs. Later they encounter a burning car and occupant, an incident from Pap’s past who pulls in Papillon and then sinks into the floor. They attempt to pull Pap out of the ground, but to no avail. As they continue, they see apparitions of terrifying spirits and demons. Statues in the wall come to life and one attacks George, biting open his throat. After trying to drag him further, George murmurs “Vitriol,” another riddle from earlier, and Scarlett realizes the Flamel stone itself is yet another trap, and that only by returning it will she find the real stone.
As Above, So Below
Directed by: John Erick Dowdle
Starring: Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman, Edwin Hodge, François Civil, Marion Lambert, Olivia Csiky Trnka, Kaya Blocksage
Screenplay by: Drew Dowdle, John Erick Dowdle
Production Design by: Louise Marzaroli
Cinematography by: Léo Hinstin
Film Editing by: Elliot Greenberg
Costume Design by: Annie Bloom
Set Decoration by: Eric Viellerobe
MPAA Rating: R for bloody violence/terror, and language throughout.
Studio: Universal Pictures
Release Date: August 29, 2014
Visits: 77
