The found-footage supernatural thriller is a popular genre these days, having really exploded into the mainstream with 2009’s “Paranormal Activity.” The format works well for these types of stories because it enhances the “something sinister just around the corner” factor that is key for creating the right level of tension and dread. Director John Erick Dowdle (“Quarantine”) is no stranger to this style, and his latest entry, “As Above/So Below,” looks to take audiences on a tour of what may be the world’s largest haunted house.
"As Above/So Below" follows a young archaeologist named Scarlett (Perdita Weeks) on her quest to find the philosopher's stone, a legendary artifact that can reputedly turn lead into gold and holds the key to eternal life. The philosopher's stone is the Holy Grail of alchemy, the historical school of thought that was equal parts science, philosophy and chemistry. The film opens with Scarlett risking her life by sneaking into a cave in Iran to discover an inscription that provides clues as to the stone's location.
The trail leads her to Paris where she recruits George (Ben Feldman), another explorer and former lover, who she needs to translate the inscription. George reluctantly complies, as he obviously still has feelings for Scarlett, and what they discover leads them on an expedition into the catacombs below Paris to find the stone. The catacombs are tombs just below the streets of Paris that hold the remains of over six million people. Remarkably, the film was shot almost entirely on location in this macabre setting.
The explorers soon find themselves trapped and must find a way out while confronting their inner demons and the sinister (albeit vaguely defined) spectral forces lurking in those depths. What follows next is a haunted hayride through a claustrophobic maze of bones, stones, darkness and a hodgepodge of pop psychology and pseudo-religion.
The film skims the surface of a lot of symbolism and philosophy but never bothers to focus in and examine any of it in depth. The same can be said for the story's characters. Weeks, Feldman and the rest of the cast (including Francois Civil as the urban explorer who leads the team underground and Edwin Hodge as the documentary filmmaker who brings the camera) all give good performances, but they just don't have much to work with. Too often, the film settles for well-executed style rather than delve too deeply into what could have been actual substance. The film often feels like a video game or one of those "interactive" amusement park rides where you are strapped in while scary things jump out at you. The characters are more or less stuck on the same ride.
While admittedly damning it with faint praise, I will say at least the film comes across as sincere in its effort rather than simply lazy. The production values are high, the performances are solid, and the atmosphere and mood, while not so much horrific, are intriguingly spooky. It's an interesting sensory experience that is unfortunately content to only hint at psychological drama before wrapping it up with a third-act revelation that lacks any real punch.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRrZZNyOqyY?rel=0&w=514&h=289]