The horror genre, let alone found-footage horror, has seemed quite stale recently - overused and ineffective, I was open-minded when I heard that As Above, So Below was a found footage-horror done right. To an extent, that was correct.
First of all, if you're looking for a festival of gore, jump-scares and hellish creatures, you're in the wrong place. As Above, So Below paces itself, though not tediously so, when building its backstory and constructing its characters. Though I had sort of hoped for a little more horror, I actually did appreciate this technique. It was a refreshingly pleasant surprise and, though some may disagree, I felt some of the calmer, earlier scenes focused towards introducing the story and characters were some of the stronger ones.
In addition, the main cast as a whole were generally talented and certainly held their own for the majority of their screen time. Again, this was a pleasant surprise. I actually felt for them at times, I wanted them to survive. They weren't what I'd call your below-average run-of-the-mill demonic-monster-fodder.
The film starts to fall short just after the halfway point. It seems to fall into the trap of putting characters in such a uniquely difficult situation that only absurdity, and seemingly-endless running around, will give them any chance of getting out alive. After a well-crafted build up towards their goal, it was a tad disappointing to see it fall into generic, found-footage horror chaos.
There were, however, a few solid moments of tension, moments where I may have even held my breath for a few seconds. With that said, the build up of tension was often then anticlimactic, much like the film's actual 'climax' which is likely to leave you feeling somewhat disappointed.
In hindsight, the film should have been marketed more as a psychological adventure, rather than a horror flick, as the horror was easily the weaker element of the film. Sometimes watching the characters having their minds messed with by supernatural puzzles was far more entertaining than any demonic presence featured in the film. One scene, in which a character is trapped by falling debris, is perhaps one of the standout moments of the film, capturing claustrophobia and the panic it can cause quite effectively (some moments even being comparable to 'The Descent').
Conclusively, As Above, So Below is entertaining if you don't expect too much. What it lacks in horror, it makes up for in its development of character and tension, although since the second half of the film generally focuses on the horror element, it may still disappoint and leave you forgetting any of the previous, admirably-constructed first half.
First of all, if you're looking for a festival of gore, jump-scares and hellish creatures, you're in the wrong place. As Above, So Below paces itself, though not tediously so, when building its backstory and constructing its characters. Though I had sort of hoped for a little more horror, I actually did appreciate this technique. It was a refreshingly pleasant surprise and, though some may disagree, I felt some of the calmer, earlier scenes focused towards introducing the story and characters were some of the stronger ones.
In addition, the main cast as a whole were generally talented and certainly held their own for the majority of their screen time. Again, this was a pleasant surprise. I actually felt for them at times, I wanted them to survive. They weren't what I'd call your below-average run-of-the-mill demonic-monster-fodder.
The film starts to fall short just after the halfway point. It seems to fall into the trap of putting characters in such a uniquely difficult situation that only absurdity, and seemingly-endless running around, will give them any chance of getting out alive. After a well-crafted build up towards their goal, it was a tad disappointing to see it fall into generic, found-footage horror chaos.
There were, however, a few solid moments of tension, moments where I may have even held my breath for a few seconds. With that said, the build up of tension was often then anticlimactic, much like the film's actual 'climax' which is likely to leave you feeling somewhat disappointed.
In hindsight, the film should have been marketed more as a psychological adventure, rather than a horror flick, as the horror was easily the weaker element of the film. Sometimes watching the characters having their minds messed with by supernatural puzzles was far more entertaining than any demonic presence featured in the film. One scene, in which a character is trapped by falling debris, is perhaps one of the standout moments of the film, capturing claustrophobia and the panic it can cause quite effectively (some moments even being comparable to 'The Descent').
Conclusively, As Above, So Below is entertaining if you don't expect too much. What it lacks in horror, it makes up for in its development of character and tension, although since the second half of the film generally focuses on the horror element, it may still disappoint and leave you forgetting any of the previous, admirably-constructed first half.
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