As Above, So Below

 

Movie, 2014, R

 

Premise - An archaeologist's biggest career dedication is to find Nicolas Flamel's Philosopher's Stone, and she thinks she's found the right clues this time. The riddle she discovers suggests that the Philosopher's Stone is buried deep in the Catacombs in Paris. With a videographer, a fellow adventurer, and a few guides through the Catacombs, the group embarks on a dangerous journey where no man has been in hundreds of years. The film is shot in a psuedo-documentary-style, a la The Blair Witch Project.

Review - This is fun horror because there is actual symbolism to work with. Much of the premise of the film is based on visual themes from Dante's Inferno and the layers of Hell (which admittedly, I have not read), but the fact that it's based in literary symbolism at all is a good place to start. I'm sure if I had read Dante's Inferno, there would be a lot of details to pick at. Even without that context, there are a lot of little visual callbacks to pick at.

 

It's a pretty standard mockumentary adventure-horror, with its fair share of jump scares, violence, and near-misses. The mockumentary style lends itself well to the story given the claustrophobic nature of the Catacombs. Having only one lens into the scene, the camera, exacerbates that claustrophobia. 

 

It's also a bit silly though, to be honest. I could not help but laughing at the fact that so many of the ancient inscriptions rhymed... in English... even though they were written in an outdated language. And the fact that she had to go to Iran to find some of the clues when Flamel was from Paris... just because it seems "exotic." And the fact that this girl, the main character, could literally do anything. PhD, trained in Krav Maga, has no fear. 

 

The no fear thing is actually a relevant plot point. The only reason she can escape Hell is because she can suppress her fear, own up to her past mistakes and trauma, and move forward. Most people can't do that, and therefore they died. (52/100)

Quote - "According to mythology, that is the inscription over the Gates of Hell."

What to watch for - There's a male character who's pretty hot, and I realized where he's from!! The Perfect Man with Hillary Duff from like the 2000s hahaha. I don't think he's been in much else.

 

If you liked this film, I'd recommend The Descent!

Directed by John Erick Dowdle

Distributed by Universal Pictures