"As Above So Below" is Freaky Spelunking At Its Worst

 
Another day another horror film. This weekend marks the opening of the creepy found-footage horror flick "As Above So Below". The movie follows a team of explorers in Paris. They venture down into the extremely creepy catacombs beneath the city and discover there's a dark secret waiting for them. The "found-footage" style of film-making has definitely become a staple within the horror genre. When done right, it can be truly effective. When not done right, it can cause some serious headaches. Though this film has some sweet scary-movie-moments, be sure to bring your Tylenol.

   Okay, so let's just get this part out of the way. First, the "found-footage" was done pretty poorly. We see the events of the film portrayed through a series of head-lamp cameras and one shoulder mount camera. The camera man made sure that the group, as well as the audience, was well aware of the head-lamp cameras that he so conveniently installed for this trip. The cameras shake so much it's  hard to focus and it's easy to miss some of the scary moments. I suppose the usage of the head-lamp cameras were somewhat practical for the story but it was "Blair Witch Project" all over again at some points. Second: tons of plot holes. The story plods along, well aware that the audience isn't there to necessarily see a compelling story, but to get scared. Why else would we go see a scary movie right? Not because it's a great story, but to be scared! Now I'm not saying that all scary movies have poor stories; and I'm not saying this story wasn't good. Plot holes aside, the story was intriguing. There are some interesting twists and turns along the way and some serious themes that are explored. There just wasn't a lot of support behind them, which is a shame.

   I'm a big fan of the "found-footage" style of film-making so I tend to have a higher level of tolerance towards the medium. I've mentioned before how I think that this style can truly be one of the greatest forms for the horror genre, if done right. "As Above So Below" has plenty of scares, there's no doubt about that. The setting of the film is scary enough. If you're one who is prone to claustrophobia, this movie may not be for you; or it will merely heighten the scare factor for you tremendously. The catacombs under Paris seems like a freaky, yet awesome place to visit. I've never been personally, but I've seen pictures and have heard first-hand experiences. It would definitely be an awesome place to check out, just not a place I would go spelunking.

   As mention earlier, there are a lot of plot holes in the story, but there's enough to get you through. The scares are what really matter. If you're looking for a good scary movie to watch, maybe check out a matinee.

Then go home and watch "The Conjuring."