
As Above, So Below
2014, Mystery and thriller/Horror, 1h 33m
78 Reviews 10,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
After an intriguing setup that threatens to claw its way out of found-footage overkill, As Above/So Below plummets into clichéd mediocrity. Read critic reviews
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Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Scarlett
George
Benji

Papillon
Souxie
Zed
News & Interviews for As Above, So Below
Critic Reviews for As Above, So Below
All Critics (78) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (20) | Rotten (58)
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It's tough to get too worked up, as head-mounted cameras whip between fleeting figures and panicked faces with all the tension of a jittery recording of a trip through your local haunted house.
September 3, 2014 | Full Review… -
Once upon a time, when someone in a horror movie turned a doorknob or drove toward a storm, you got to feel superior and shout, "Don't go in there!" Now it's more like, "Seriously? You're not gonna put down that camera first?"
September 2, 2014 | Full Review… -
Once the characters go underground, things start happening. Not scary things, mind you, but things.
August 31, 2014 | Full Review… -
Has a few scares up its sleeve ...
August 31, 2014 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review… -
The movie's signature signage - "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here" - is the only instruction we really need.
August 29, 2014 | Full Review… -
"As Above, So Below" is novel enough to be worth the price of admission, but you'll think twice before getting back in line for a second visit.
August 29, 2014 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for As Above, So Below
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Dec 02, 2015Interesting premise, with a decent story, but ultimately, this film falls flat. Plus it's confusing as hell for most of the time.Stephen S Super Reviewer
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Aug 06, 2015It's dumb. It's really really really dumb. But it's not boring, and boring is the worst thing a movie can be. I actually can't remember the last time I was this entertained by a found footage horror. Probably The Last Exorcism five years ago. Now "good for a found footage horror" may not exactly be the highest praise, but As Above, So Below is still worth a watch for genre fans.Gimly M Super Reviewer
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Jun 09, 2015As above, so below Surprisingly engaging, and intriguing from the onset, As Above, So Below is a film that seemingly invigorates the found footage drama, at least to start. We find ourselves with a unique storyline, one which mixes mythology with real-life historical setting, and thrusts the viewer in without hand-holding. The direction is fast and energetic, the performances amazingly effective. The scares are genuine, and the tension is uncanny. Where the film starts to veer, however, is about half way through when it seemingly loses all notions of constraint. Director Dowdle succumbs to gimmicks, as any sense of realism is lost and instead we are treated to a CGI spectacle of increasing absurdity. The film's script remains interesting, and we enjoy where it ends, yet had the film kept things more close to the chest, it could have been something much more. 3.5/5 StarsJeffrey M Super Reviewer
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Dec 31, 2014For a found footage horror film, this actually has a pretty cool concept all things considered. The concept, while used tremendously in films like Rec, Troll Hunter, and Chronicle has certainly worn out its welcome as lazy filmmakers, the horror genre being a haven for real laziness, have taken this concept and beat it into the ground. Thankfully, though, this film is anything but lazy, at least conceptually. A real effort was made. Of course, given the rating I gave the film, it didn't always work. I think the characterization was as cliches as you can imagine in a horror film. None of them have any real personalities so you're not exactly torn up about it when they meet their doom. The lead character, for one, comes across unlikable in the start. Like she gets someone arrested in Turkey, during a previous expedition, she left the guy there, and was about to force that same join her in her quest in spite of the fact that he didn't want to do, due an accident in his past. I realize finding the philosopher's stone is really important to her, but she's completely forgetting that it's not as important to others. The film doesn't really do much to make her likable, but as the film progresses, she's less unlikable. The rest of the characters are absolutely nothing, just empty and hollow shells there to be murdered and look scared. Thankfully, though, the film does a good job at making it look like these people are going through a horrifying ordeal. Horrifying to the actors at least, maybe not to us, but to them. There's some pretty decent moments in the last act or so of the film. I think the first hour so, while intriguing, is a little lacking. It all gets going once the shit hits the fan, much like every horror film. I think most horror fans would find something to like about the film's last act. And the setting of the catacombs makes for some cool, claustrophobic moments. The car scene is actually really cool, in my honest opinion. I just think the film should've more successfully mixed the horror with some of the more 'adventure-esque' elements. But it is what it is. Honestly, this isn't as bad as some of the professional reviews made it out to be. It's not great or anything, but an average horror movie is still a pretty decent rental to me.Jesse O Super Reviewer
As Above, So Below Quotes
Scarlett: | Oh my God. |
George: | Danny, no! |
Scarlett: | George, stop! |
George: | That's my brother! |
Scarlett: | Stop! It's not real! |
Scarlett: | No one uses this corridor. People who go in this tunnel don't come out. |
Papillon: | No one uses this corridor. People who go in this tunnel don't come out. |
Papillon: | It's exactly the same! |
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