As Above, So Below… Par

As Above, So Below Review

Another Casual Friday is upon us and another movie release weekend. It’s been a little weak as of late, but it’s the close of the summer season and there’s always something watchable out there. This week along with the release of The November Man there was the release of As Above, So Below. Starring, Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman, Edwin Hodge.

Off to a Flat Start

The movie centers around Scarlett (Perdita Weeks), an explorer archeologist in the search for the philosophers stone with the help of her friends Benji (Hodge) and George (Feldman). Of course in any movie, there is the part where the characters need to be placed and back story needs to be laid so that we can get a good understanding of where we are and what we’re doing. I think the first few moments does a good job of it. Apparently the writers didn’t, so the movie seemed to drag a bit with the lead up. Think of it like the moment before you reach the top of the roller coaster, it’s the build up, but there are those rides that spend to much time on the build up that you just loose interest.

Found Footage Fizzle

The whole movie uses a style that I’ve never really like, but have seen done in movies where it’s not so bad. Found footage, if you don’t already know, is a genre of film making, especially horror, in which all or a substantial part of a fictional film is presented as if it were discovered film or video recordings, often left behind by missing or dead protagonists.¹ The thing about this genre is it makes it’s bread and butter on the fact that it’s such an “authentic” film style. It can be a bit jarring with the camera shaking. It gives me a headache. Wish I could enjoy your movie, but I’m nauseous now. Thanks. Chronicle, was a film that I thought did this successfully, primarily because the camera was being controlled mostly by their telepathic abilities.

Interesting Conclusion

As you get near the end, it does seem to pick up in story and focus more on the myth of the philosopher’s stone. It deals a lot with shaping the world around you and takes a journey into self-forgiveness while introducing concepts from Dante Alighieri‘s Inferno. I have to say they got me intrigued with the lore of the story more than the story itself, and this is what kept me glued.

The Verdict: “Go see, If you’re a fan of the genre”

This movie was par for the course for me. Although I enjoyed the last moments of the film itself, not being an appreciator of the horror genre it wasn’t enough to make me feel like it was money well spent. I would advise waiting on this one if you’re not a fan of the genre.