View source for As Above, So Below (film)


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{{Infobox film
| image          = As Above, So Below Poster.jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[John Erick Dowdle]]
| writer         = {{plainlist|
* Drew Dowdle
* John Erick Dowdle
}}
| producer       = {{plainlist|
* [[Thomas Tull]]
* [[Jon Jashni]]
* Drew Dowdle
* Patrick Aiello
}}
| starring       = {{plainlist|
* [[Perdita Weeks]]
* [[Ben Feldman]]
* [[Edwin Hodge]]
}}
| cinematography = Léo Hinstin
| editing        = Elliot Greenberg
| music          = [[Keefus Ciancia]]
| studio         = {{plainlist|
* [[Legendary Pictures]]
* Brothers Dowdle
}}
| distributor    = [[Universal Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|2014|08|29}}
| runtime        = 93 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 93:06--><ref name="bbfc">{{cite web |title=''AS ABOVE, SO BELOW'' (15) |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/as-above-so-below-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zotqzmzi |work=[[Universal Studios, Inc.|Universal Studios]] |publisher=[[British Board of Film Classification]] |access-date=February 20, 2023 |archive-date=February 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220151328/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/as-above-so-below-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zotqzmzi |url-status=live }}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English<!-- primary language only -->
| budget         = $5–10 million
| gross          = $41.8 million
}}

'''''As Above, So Below''''' (stylized as '''''As Above/So Below''''') is a 2014 American [[horror film]] directed by [[John Erick Dowdle]], who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Drew Dowdle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/53ee75cbb7ad4|title=As Above/So Below (2014)|work=[[British Film Institute]]|access-date=December 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223164125/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/53ee75cbb7ad4|archive-date=December 23, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> It stars [[Perdita Weeks]], [[Ben Feldman (actor)|Ben Feldman]], [[Edwin Hodge]], [[François Civil]], Marion Lambert, and [[Ali Marhyar]]. The film is presented as [[Found footage (film technique)|found footage]] of a documentary crew's experience exploring the [[Catacombs of Paris]] in search of the [[philosopher's stone]], only to be confronted by supernatural forces.

The film is loosely based on the [[Inferno (Dante)#Nine circles of Hell|nine circles of Hell]] from [[Dante Alighieri|Dante]]'s ''[[Inferno (Dante)|Inferno]]'', and its title refers to [[As above, so below|the popular paraphrase]] found in the ''[[Emerald Tablet]]''. It was the first film to be granted permission to shoot in the actual Catacombs of Paris. It was produced by [[Legendary Pictures]] and the Dowdle brothers' own company Brothers Dowdle,<ref name=thr>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/as-below-film-review-726552/|title=''As Above, So Below'': Film Review|last=Mintzer|first=Jordan|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=2014-08-20|accessdate=2023-04-17}}</ref> and distributed by [[Universal Pictures]], making it the first film released under Legendary's deal with Universal.

The film was released theatrically on August 29, 2014. It received mostly negative reviews from critics but was a box office success, grossing $41.8 million worldwide<ref name="BOM">{{Cite web |title=As Above, So Below |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=asabovesobelow.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240205094218/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2353169921/ |archive-date=February 5, 2024 |access-date=September 6, 2024 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> on a $5–10 million budget.<ref name="budget">{{Cite news |first=Justin |last=Kroll |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/legendary-and-the-dowdle-brothers-to-make-archaelogical-found-footage-pic-exclusive-do-not-post-1200375118/ |title=Legendary and the Dowdle Brothers to Make Low Budget Thriller |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=April 22, 2013 |access-date=March 7, 2014 |archive-date=December 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224084140/http://variety.com/2013/film/news/legendary-and-the-dowdle-brothers-to-make-archaelogical-found-footage-pic-exclusive-do-not-post-1200375118/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=numbers>{{cite web|url=https://the-numbers.com/movie/As-Above-So-Below#tab=summary|title=As Above, So Below - The Numbers|access-date=2014-09-02|archive-date=November 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105011302/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/As-Above-So-Below#tab=summary|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2018, four years after its release, it became available to stream on [[Netflix]]; it became extremely popular on the platform, subsequently garnering a more positive reception and building a large [[cult film|cult following]].

==Plot==
<!-- Per [[WP:FILMPLOT]], film plots should be between 400 and 700 words. -->
[[Polymath]] and archaeologist Scarlett Marlowe continues her dead father's search for the legendary [[philosopher's stone]], an alchemical substance discovered by [[Nicolas Flamel]] allegedly capable of turning base metals into gold or silver and granting eternal life. After obtaining the "Rose Key" artifact in an [[Iran]]ian cave, she has a vision of a hanged man before escaping. 

Scarlett travels to [[Paris]], where her search becomes the subject of a documentary filmed by Benji. Assisted by her ex-boyfriend George as an [[Aramaic]] translator, they use the key to solve a riddle that points them toward the [[Catacombs of Paris]]. Unable to access a specific tunnel, a stranger points them toward a nearby club to find a [[cataphile]] named Papillon. The three visit the club and recruit Papillon, his girlfriend Souxie, and their friend Zed. 

Papillon takes the group to an off-limits entrance. Scarlett insists on taking a tunnel shortcut, which Papillon refuses to enter, explaining that people—including his friend La Taupe—disappear after entering. After taking an alternative route that collapses behind them, they find themselves facing the same tunnel and are forced to go through. Inside, they find La Taupe, who tells them that going further down is the only way out. They eventually find a tomb with a preserved [[Templar Knight]], a mound of treasure, and the philosopher's stone. Scarlett takes the stone, but when Papillon's group tries to take the treasure, they trigger a trap that causes the ceiling to collapse and seemingly crush La Taupe.

Scarlett uses the stone to heal Souxie's wound. They find a drawing of a door on the ceiling along with a [[Gnostic]] Star of David, symbolizing "[[As above, so below]]", which reveals a hidden opening in the floor. Going through, they find a tunnel marked with the phrase "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here".{{efn|An inscription on the gates of [[Hell in Christianity|Hell]] in [[Dante Alighieri|Dante]]'s ''[[Inferno (Dante)|Inferno]]''}}

They enter a mirrored version of the catacombs, where La Taupe kills Souxie before disappearing. As they descend deeper, Benji and Papillon are killed by spirits representing their past sins. Scarlett, George, and Zed are harassed by spirits as they descend, and George's throat is bitten by a demon. Unable to heal George using the stone, Scarlett returns the false stone and discovers that its power resides within her. While returning to George and Zed, she sees the hanged man and recognizes him as her father. She apologizes for ignoring his phone call, and he vanishes. She returns to George and heals him with a kiss. 

The trio is chased to a dark hole, where Scarlett tells them that they must confess their sins and jump in. George admits that he failed to save his brother from drowning, and Zed confesses that he has a child he refuses to claim. They jump and find a manhole at the bottom. They push it open, emerging near [[Notre-Dame de Paris|Notre-Dame]]. Scarlett and George hold each other while Zed walks away, finally safe.

In an ending log, Scarlett says she never ventured to seek or obtain any material treasure, only the truth.

==Cast==
* [[Perdita Weeks]] as Scarlett Marlowe, an accomplished scholar in search of the philosopher's stone. She is clever but reckless in her pursuit for the philosopher's stone.
* [[Ben Feldman]] as George, Scarlett's ex, and an Aramaic translator with a hobby for breaking into old buildings to repair things.
* [[Edwin Hodge]] as Benji, Scarlett's cameraman and tech specialist.
* [[François Civil]] as Papillon, a cataphile and the group's guide through the Paris catacombs.
* Marion Lambert as Souxie, Papillon's girlfriend.
* [[Ali Marhyar]] as Zed, Papillon's friend.
* Pablo Nicomedes as La Taupe, Papillon's friend who lived in the Paris catacombs for five years until his disappearance down a disused tunnel.
* Hamidreza Javdan as Reza
* Roger Van Hool as Scarlett's father, once a scholar in pursuit of the philosopher's stone, now deceased.
* Samuel Aouizerate as Danny, George's younger brother who drowned when George was still a child.
* Olivia Csiky Trnka as Strange Young Woman
* Kaya Blocksage as the Curator
* Théo Cholbi as the Mysterious Teenager

==Production==
===Development===
''As Above, So Below'' was directed by [[John Erick Dowdle]] from a screenplay he co-wrote with his brother, Drew Dowdle. The Dowdle brothers said they always wanted to make a documentary-style or found footage ''[[Indiana Jones]]''-type film with a female lead.<ref name="ew">{{Cite magazine |last=Collis |first=Clark |date=August 28, 2014 |title='As Above So Below': How they shot in the Paris catacombs |url=https://ew.com/article/2014/08/28/as-above-so-below-dowdle/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> [[Thomas Tull]], the head of [[Legendary Pictures]], called them and said he would love to do something in the [[Catacombs of Paris|Parisian catacombs]], and the brothers said that it would be perfect if the characters were searching for something down there, which turned out to be [[Nicolas Flamel]]'s [[philosopher's stone]] that leads the film's main character, Scarlett Marlowe, into the catacombs.<ref name="ew"/> The Dowdle brothers started developing ideas for the project in 2008.<ref name="btlnews">{{Cite web |last=Essman |first=Scott |date=September 12, 2014 |title=John Erick Dowdle Explores an Underground Netherworld in ''As Above, So Below'' |url=https://www.btlnews.com/commentary/director-series/john-erick-dowdle-explores-an-underground-netherworld-in-as-above-so-below/ |website=Below the Line}}</ref> John Erick Dowdle went to Paris in 2007 and tried to see the catacombs, but they were closed due to vandalism.<ref name="btlnews"/> The character Scarlett came to life in 2010.<ref name="btlnews"/> While scouting locations for the film, the Dowdle brothers spent four weeks in the catacombs and a week above ground.<ref name="btlnews"/>

The project was officially announced by ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' on April 22, 2013.<ref name="budget"/> The film went from the pitch to a director's cut in seven months.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hewitt |first=Chris |date=August 27, 2014 |title=The Dowdle brothers: the Twin Cities' OTHER sibling filmmakers |url=https://www.twincities.com/2014/08/27/the-dowdle-brothers-the-twin-cities-other-sibling-filmmakers/ |website=Twin Cities}}</ref> The film's estimated production budget was $5–10 million.<ref name="budget"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lang |first=Brent |date=August 27, 2014 |title=Box Office: 'November Man,' 'As Above, So Below' Jockey for Labor Day Dominance |url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/box-office-november-man-as-above-so-below-jockey-for-labor-day-dominance-1201291065/ |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> It was produced by [[Legendary Pictures]] and Brothers Dowdle and distributed by [[Universal Pictures]],<ref name=thr/> making it the first film in Legendary's deal with Universal.<ref name="budget"/>

===Casting===
Auditions were held in [[London]], [[Los Angeles]], and [[Paris]]. For the role of Scarlett, the filmmakers said they wanted someone who "not only you would love to take a road trip with or watch a baseball game with, but also someone that you believe that could be smart to the point of genius and also funny, and not just put glasses on a pretty girl". They auditioned around 300 actresses and found English actress [[Perdita Weeks]] in London; both Dowdle brothers liked Weeks in different audition tapes that she submitted as she had different hair colors in each of them (blonde in one and brunette in the other) and were surprised when they realized they were recommending the same actress to each other. For the role of George, they wanted someone who could be "likeable and funny and that you can believe that is smart", and found American actor [[Ben Feldman]] in Los Angeles.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 5, 2014 |title=John Erick Dowdle: AS ABOVE, SO BELOW |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqQm8vZ6zog&t=182s |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

===Influences===
The plot was loosely based on the [[Inferno (Dante)#Nine circles of Hell|nine circles of Hell]] from [[Dante Alighieri]]'s epic 14th-century poem ''[[Divine Comedy]]''.<ref name="btlnews"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schaefer |first=Sandy |date=31 October 2023 |title=As Above, So Below Ending Explained: Raiders Of The Lost Philosopher's Stone |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1428860/as-above-so-below-ending-explained/ |website=[[/Film|Slash Film]]}}</ref> The Dowdle brothers also used elements from their previous films ''[[The Poughkeepsie Tapes]]'' (2007), ''[[Quarantine (2008 film)|Quarantine]]'' (2008), and ''[[Devil (2010 film)|Devil]]'' (2010).<ref name="scifinow">{{Cite web |last=Ferris |first=Glen |date=August 27, 2014 |title=As Above So Below is "The Dirty Dozen goes to hell" |url=https://www.scifinow.co.uk/news/as-above-so-below-exclusive-its-the-dirty-dozen-goes-to-hell/ |website=[[SciFiNow]]}}</ref> Drew Dowdle said they did not want another underground creature movie, and that [[Neil Marshall]] "did that quite well" with ''[[The Descent]]'' (2005), they wanted to do something outside of that but at the same time with an element of the supernatural.<ref name="scifinow"/>

During pre-production, the Dowdle brothers talked to a lot of "[[cataphile]]s" (as they call themselves) and asked them about the strangest things they came across in the Paris catacombs. They found out that choirs and musicians sing and play in the catacombs unannounced due to the sound quality of the place, so they decided to have an all-female choir in the film.<ref name="complex"/> That scene was inspired by a scene in [[Andrei Tarkovsky]]'s film ''[[Andrei Rublev (film)|Andrei Rublev]]'' (1966), where a monk is walking through the woods and finds a witch coven with people running naked.<ref name="complex"/>

Other influences include ''[[The Da Vinci Code (film)|The Da Vinci Code]]'' (2006), ''[[The Goonies]]'' (1985), ''[[Flatliners]]'' (1990), ''[[Event Horizon (film)|Event Horizon]]'' (1997), and ''[[The Dirty Dozen]]'' (1967)–the Dowdle brothers said they wanted to make "''The Dirty Dozen'' goes to hell".<ref name="complex">{{Cite web |last=Barone |first=Matt |date=August 28, 2014 |title=Interview: "As Above/So Below" Filmmakers the Dowdle Bros. on Their Horror Movie for History Nerds |url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/matt-barone/interview-dowdle-brothers-as-above-so-below |website=[[Complex Networks|Complex]]}}</ref><ref name="scifinow"/> The opening sequence is reminiscent of ''[[The Exorcist]]'' (1973).<ref name="scifinow"/>

===Filming===
The film was shot in Paris for two months in 2013.<ref name="dujour"/><ref name="uproxx">{{Cite web |last=Ellwood |first=Gregory |date=August 20, 2014 |title='As Above/So Below' directors: guess that actor's claustrophobia helped his performance |url=https://uproxx.com/hitfix/as-aboveso-below-directors-guess-that-actors-claustrophobia-helped-his-performance/ |website=[[Uproxx]]}}</ref> With permission from the French authorities, the film was shot in the real catacombs of Paris,<ref name="mpa">{{cite web|url=https://www.motionpictures.org/2014/08/filming-in-the-paris-catacombs-for-as-above-so-below/|title=Filming in the Paris Catacombs for ''As Above, So Below''|website=[[Motion Picture Association]]|date=August 13, 2014|access-date=February 20, 2023|archive-date=December 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203094710/https://www.motionpictures.org/2014/08/filming-in-the-paris-catacombs-for-as-above-so-below/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ew"/> making it the first film to get permission to shoot both in the public<ref name="Foutch">{{Cite web |last=Foutch |first=Haleigh |date=August 1, 2014 |title=Drew Dowdle and John Erick Dowdle Talk AS ABOVE SO BELOW, Shooting in the Real Catacombs, the Film's Unexpected Alchemical Sub-Plot, THE COUP, and More |url=https://collider.com/as-above-so-below-john-erick-dowdle-drew-dowdle-interview/ |website=Collider}}</ref> and in the off-limits area of the catacombs.<ref name="ew"/> Permission was granted the night before shooting was scheduled to begin in the catacombs.<ref name="Foutch"/> Shot over a period of six weeks, shooting took place underground in the catacombs for five weeks.<ref name="btlnews"/> The underwater scenes were shot on a [[sound stage]].<ref name="btlnews"/>

There was very little use of props, as the actors had to use the environment around them. Production in the actual catacombs was difficult for the cast and especially the crew as there was no electricity or cell phone service in the centuries-old tunnels.<ref name="mpa"/> Walkie-talkies and wireless monitors did not work there either.<ref name="btlnews"/> The filmmakers decided they would not bring lights to the catacombs and would just film it documentary-style, with a realistic approach to the camera and lighting.<ref name="ew"/> Many scenes were lit up by the actors themselves with their head lamps.<ref name="ew"/> John Erick Dowdle said that the actors were shooting the film 90% of the time.<ref name="btlnews"/> Some days they had water up to their waists, and sometimes they had to crawl around on all fours for an hour.<ref name="ew"/> They had to keep an arm up because the ceiling lowered at any point, so that they would hit their arms on the ceiling instead of their faces. Drew Dowdle said that all of them took some head divots while filming, and he took one that did not heal for six months.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weiland |first=Jonah |date=August 27, 2014 |title=Dowdle Brothers Discuss Their Horror Film 'As Above, So Below' |url=https://www.cbr.com/cbr-tv-dowdle-brothers-discuss-their-horror-film-as-above-so-below/ |website=[[Comic Book Resources]]}}</ref>

The air and water quality in the catacombs were tested before shooting to make sure that people would not walk through [[battery acid]].<ref name="Gizmodo">{{Cite web |last=Woerner |first=Meredith |date=August 26, 2014 |title=How ''As Above, So Below'' Shot A Horror Film In The Actual Paris Catacombs |url=https://gizmodo.com/how-as-above-so-below-shot-a-horror-film-in-the-actual-1626848609 |website=[[Gizmodo]]}}</ref> One of the catacombs' locations was six flights of stairs down, while another one was through a little hole in the ground.<ref name="btlnews"/> The only entrance to one of the main locations in the catacombs was through the parking lot of an hospital. [[Ben Feldman (actor)|Ben Feldman]] said: "We would go into the trailers and get covered in blood, dust, scars, and gore, and then grab our coffees, and have a leisurely stroll through a hospital parking lot past doctors and patients all staring at us. We were just covered in blood and walking past all these people who could theoretically save us".<ref name="dujour">{{Cite web |last=Rathe |first=Adam |title=On Location with Ben Feldman {{!}} We go deep beneath Paris on the set of As Above, So Below |url=https://dujour.com/culture/ben-feldman-as-above-so-below-paris-catacombs-interview/ |website=[[DuJour Magazine]] |date=August 26, 2014}}</ref> Feldman also said that it was [[Claustrophobia|claustrophobic]], cold, wet, tight, uncomfortable and there were no bathrooms in the catacombs,<ref name="dujour"/> but that nobody had any major claustrophobia issues down there.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 August 2014 |title=Press roundtable - Catacombes – Our talk with Ben Feldman |url=https://mulderville.net/en/events/205/catacombes-our-talk-with-ben-feldman |website=Mulderville}}</ref> Drew Dowdle said it was very hard spending four hours down in the catacombs and then coming out into Parisian June, and that they could not handle any sunlight and became "[[mole people (fiction)|mole people]]".<ref name="ew"/>

John Erick Dowdle said that both the actors and the crew were asked if they were claustrophobic, and then they did a wardrobe test underground to make sure they were not. The director said that one of the actors was not very comfortable down there, so they decided to make his character claustrophobic in the film. While on set, the actor had to take a moment and calm himself down. John Erick Dowdle said that they could feel his anxiety. "That particular actor had the most claustrophobic scene in the movie and he seemed to really enjoy what it did for his performance. His performance was so solid and I don't think it was much acting," Drew Dowdle said. The actor's name was not revealed.<ref name="uproxx"/> At least one of the actors, Feldman, has said that he is not claustrophobic.<ref name="Ferris"/>

Some scenes were a total surprise for the actors, such as the scene with the all-female choir singing topless in the catacombs. The actors were kept in another part of the caves while the crew was setting up the shot, then they were told, "You know your lines, you know what's happening in the scene, go in that direction and it'll happen", according to Feldman.<ref name="Ferris">{{Cite web |last=Ferris |first=Glen |date=August 28, 2014 |title=As Above So Below Is Inspired by Dan Brown and Indiana Jones |url=https://www.scifinow.co.uk/interviews/as-above-so-below-is-horror-meets-dan-brown-and-indiana-jones/ |website=[[SciFiNow]]}}</ref>

The piano from George's childhood that he sees in the catacombs, was designed to look like a piano that the Dowdle brothers owned and used to jump off as kids.<ref name="Gizmodo"/> In the film, George mentions that he and his brother used to jump off that piano when they were kids.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 5, 2014 |title=As Above, So Below Movie CLIP - Piano in the Catacombs (2014) - Found Footage Horror Movie HD |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-rws65EpLw |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> The crew wanted to do a hollow piano, but the Dowdle brothers wanted a real piano, so it had to be taken to the catacombs by a piano mover and later removed after the shoot. That particular quarry where the piano was placed was six stories down and only accessible by a manhole cover with chimney under it and a long staircase. John Erick Dowdle said the piano mover had "the most thankless job" by bringing the piano down there and moving it back out.<ref name="Gizmodo"/>

A real car was taken to the catacombs to be set on fire with an actor in it. Pyrotechnics were used and director John Erick Dowdle tested it on himself first, not only to ensure safety, but also because he was amazed by the effects.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 15, 2014 |title=John and Drew Dowdle on catacomb shooting in 'As Above, So Below' |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRWrm5ZaK_4&t=272s |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

The Dowdle brothers wanted to shoot in a quarry of the catacombs that was used by the [[Nazism|Nazis]] to hide bombs during [[World War II]] and had one sign that said "[[Adolf Hitler]] Strasse" ("Adolf Hitler Street"), but it was damaged after being bombed by the allies and the film's safety people advised them not to shoot in there because the ceilings could fall.<ref name="Foutch"/>

Other filming locations in Paris were the [[Fontaine des Innocents]], the [[Père Lachaise Cemetery]], the [[Musée de Cluny]], the [[Pont Alexandre III]] and the [[Eiffel Tower]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catacombes |url=https://www.filmfrance.net/once-upon-a-time/catacombes/ |website=Film France CNC |language=fr}}</ref>

===Post-production===
Elliot Greenberg started editing the film while shooting was still happening. ''As Above, So Below'' was edited at the same time as Dowdle's next film, ''[[No Escape (2015 film)|No Escape]]'' (2015). Greenberg traveled to Thailand to work on ''No Escape'' while his assistant finished ''As Above, So Below''.<ref name="btlnews"/>

==Marketing==
The first [[Trailer (promotion)|trailer]] of the film was revealed on April 24, 2014.<ref>{{cite news|last=Anderton|first=Ethan|title=Explorers Find the Gate to Hell in 'As Above, So Below' Horror Trailer|url=http://www.firstshowing.net/2014/explorers-find-the-gate-to-hell-in-as-above-so-below-horror-trailer/|access-date=April 25, 2014|newspaper=Firstshowing.net|date=April 24, 2014|archive-date=April 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426233224/http://www.firstshowing.net/2014/explorers-find-the-gate-to-hell-in-as-above-so-below-horror-trailer/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[YouTuber]] [[PewDiePie]] and his wife [[Marzia Bisognin]] promoted the film by embarking on a quest into the catacombs, where they would be scared in a variety of ways.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/social-media-buzz-november-man-labors-to-overcome-as-above-so-below-1201294050/ | title=Social Media Buzz: 'November Man' Labors to Overcome 'As Above, So Below' | publisher=Variety Media, LLC | work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=29 August 2014 | access-date=16 March 2015 | last=Bauckhage | first=Tobias | archive-date=October 10, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010190324/http://variety.com/2014/digital/news/social-media-buzz-november-man-labors-to-overcome-as-above-so-below-1201294050/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Release==
The film was originally scheduled to be released on August 15, 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Justin |last=Kroll |url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/legendary-universal-date-guillermo-del-toros-crimson-peak-for-oct-2015-1201078647/ |title=Legendary, Universal Date Guillermo del Toro's 'Crimson Peak' for October 2015 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=January 30, 2013 |access-date=March 7, 2014 |archive-date=March 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306071743/http://variety.com/2014/film/news/legendary-universal-date-guillermo-del-toros-crimson-peak-for-oct-2015-1201078647/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The release date was pushed back and the film was released theatrically in the United States by [[Universal Pictures]] on August 29, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Universal Pulls 'The Loft' From Sked, Moves Legendary Pic 'As Above/So Below' Into Slot|author=The Deadline Team|date=June 26, 2014|url=https://deadline.com/2014/06/universal-pulls-the-loft-from-sked-moves-legendary-pic-as-aboveso-below-into-slot-796912/|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=November 13, 2019|archive-date=July 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714225938/http://www.deadline.com/2014/06/universal-pulls-the-loft-from-sked-moves-legendary-pic-as-aboveso-below-into-slot/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Reception==
=== Critical response ===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 30% based on 79 reviews, and an average rating of 4.60/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "After an intriguing setup that threatens to claw its way out of found-footage overkill, ''As Above, So Below'' plummets into clichéd mediocrity."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://rottentomatoes.com/m/as_aboveso_below/ | title=As Above, So Below (2014) | work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] | publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |access-date=February 24, 2026}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 39 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://metacritic.com/movie/as-above-so-below | title=As Above, So Below Reviews | work=[[Metacritic]] | publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] | access-date=September 4, 2014 | archive-date=September 5, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905200924/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/as-above-so-below | url-status=live }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "C−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com/|title=Find CinemaScore|format=Type "As Above" in the search box|publisher=[[CinemaScore]]|access-date=February 11, 2021|archive-date=April 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220413083139/https://www.cinemascore.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Peter Debruge gave the film a mixed review in ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', writing, "It all makes for clumsy-fun escapism, not bad as end-of-summer chillers go, but small-time compared with other Legendary releases." Debruge also called the ending "unspeakably corny".<ref>{{Cite news |first=Peter |last=Debruge |url=https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-as-above-so-below-1201286740/ |title=Film Review: 'As Above, So Below' |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=August 20, 2014 |access-date=May 5, 2020 |archive-date=March 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326091658/https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-as-above-so-below-1201286740/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Kyle Anderson's review in ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated, "''As Above'' has some genuine scares. The stakes begin as gut-wrenchingly real with the team feeling disoriented hundreds of meters beneath the streets, but the film gets downright silly once the caverns become malevolently sentient."<ref>{{Cite magazine |first=Kyle |last=Anderson |url=https://ew.com/article/2014/09/12/above-so-below/ |title=As Above, So Below |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=September 12, 2014 |access-date=May 5, 2020 |archive-date=September 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928053921/https://ew.com/article/2014/09/12/above-so-below/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Bruce Demara wrote in ''[[The Toronto Star]]'', "''As Above, So Below'' has some good scares and a decent cast. But it's yet another found footage thriller, so jittery camera sequences may induce nausea."<ref>{{Cite news |first=Bruce |last=DeMara |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2014/08/29/as_above_so_below_nauseating_for_the_wrong_reasons_review.html |title=As Above, So Below nauseating for the wrong reasons: review |work=The Star |date=August 29, 2014 |access-date=May 5, 2020 |archive-date=September 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928053913/https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2014/08/29/as_above_so_below_nauseating_for_the_wrong_reasons_review.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Peter Bradshaw]] stated in ''[[The Guardian]],'' "There are some interestingly contrived moments of claustrophobia and surreal lunacy, but this clichéd and slightly hand-me-down script neither scares nor amuses very satisfyingly."<ref>{{Cite news |first=Peter |last=Bradshaw |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/aug/28/as-above-so-below-review |title=As Above, So Below review - neither scares nor amuses very satisfyingly |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=August 28, 2014 |access-date=May 5, 2020 |archive-date=March 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314205755/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/aug/28/as-above-so-below-review |url-status=live }}</ref> Drew Hunt expressed similar sentiments in ''[[The Chicago Reader]]'', writing "An intriguing and intensely creepy premise is squandered on this rudimentary found-footage horror film."<ref>{{cite web|title=As Above/So Below|author=Drew Hunt|date=June 29, 2014|url=https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/as-above-so-below/Film?oid=14508982|website=[[The Chicago Reader]]|access-date=May 5, 2020|archive-date=September 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928053919/https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/as-above-so-below/Film?oid=14508982|url-status=live}}</ref> Terry Staunton gave the film a mildly positive review in ''[[Radio Times]]'', stating, "It's a perfectly serviceable addition to the 'found footage' genre of chillers from director/co-writer John Erick Dowdle (''Devil''), who puts cameras in each character's helmet, allowing quick cuts from one scene to another. But despite the claustrophobia of the setting, he never quite racks up enough tension for a full-on fright-fest."<ref>{{cite web|title=As Above, So Below|author=Terry Staunton|date=August 6, 2014|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/film/cv7dx7/as-above-so-below/|website=[[Radio Times]]|access-date=May 5, 2020|archive-date=March 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330221325/https://www.radiotimes.com/film/cv7dx7/as-above-so-below/|url-status=live}}</ref> The entertainment oriented website ''[[JoBlo]]'' wrote, "Not the worst example of found footage by a long shot, and it moves a decent pace with a couple of good scares. However, this could have been a far more frightening feature if only it had expanded on its scary premise."<ref>{{cite web|title=Review: As Above, So Below|author=JimmyO|date=August 29, 2014|url=https://joblo.com/movie-news/review-as-about-so-below-135#kEUiwsx8iT1mXxO2.99|website=[[JoBlo]]|access-date=November 13, 2019|archive-date=March 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330233443/https://www.joblo.com/movie-news/review-as-about-so-below-135#kEUiwsx8iT1mXxO2.99|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Box office===
The film grossed $8.3 million its opening weekend, finishing in third place. It went on to gross $21.3 million in North America and $20.6 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $41.8 million.<ref name="BOM"/>

== Home media ==
''As Above, So Below'' was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 2, 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/movies/6905/as-above,-so-below|title=As Above, So Below DVD Release Date December 2, 2014|website=DVDs Release Dates|access-date=March 25, 2020|archive-date=March 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325035506/https://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/movies/6905/as-above,-so-below|url-status=live}}</ref> The film was made available on [[Netflix]] in the United States in 2018<ref>{{Cite web |title=Everything you need to know about "As Above, So Below" on Netflix USA |url=https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/70307661 |access-date=April 23, 2025 |website=Now on Netflix USA}}</ref> and became very popular in the streaming service, gaining a [[cult following]].<ref name="Schonter">{{Cite web |last=Schonter |first=Allison |date=September 1, 2021 |title=Netflix Removing Hit Horror Movie Just Before October |url=https://popculture.com/streaming/news/netflix-removing-hit-horror-movie-just-before-october-as-above-so-below/ |website=[[PopCulture.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Diaz |first=Madison |date=May 19, 2022 |title=As Above So Below Had One Interesting Element That Made It a Cult Classic |url=https://www.cbr.com/as-above-so-below-creatures-horror-cult-classic/ |website=[[Comic Book Resources]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Armitage |first=Helen |last2=Russell |first2=Tom |date=August 25, 2024 |title=As Above, So Below's Twist Ending Explained: They're In Hell |url=https://screenrant.com/as-above-so-below-movie-ending-explained-hell/ |website=[[Screen Rant]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Palmer |first=Zachary |date=March 13, 2021 |title=As Above So Below Explained - The True Story Behind The Hellish Movie |url=https://signalhorizon.com/as-above-so-below-explained-the-true-story-behind-the-hellish-movie/ |website=Signal Horizon}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Dhruv |date=Jun 16, 2024 |title=Netflix's New Hit Survival Thriller Is A Reminder To Watch This Underrated Horror From 10 Years Ago |url=https://screenrant.com/under-paris-movie-as-above-so-below-watch-reminder-underrated/ |website=[[Screen Rant]]}}</ref> It was removed from Netflix in 2021, returned in 2024, and removed again in 2025.<ref name="Schonter"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Severino |first=Rachael Blair |date=October 5, 2024 |title=One of the Most Terrifying Found-Footage Horror Movies Ever Is Now on Netflix |url=https://collider.com/as-above-so-below-streaming-netflix/ |website=Collider}}</ref>

A collector's edition Blu-ray was released by [[Shout! Factory]] on October 1, 2024. It features a new artwork and the bonus include new interviews with director John Erick Dowdle and producer/co-writer Drew Dowdle.<ref>{{Cite web |title=As Above, So Below [Collector's Edition] + Exclusive Poster |url=https://shoutfactory.com/products/as-above-so-below-collectors-edition-exclusive-poster |access-date=6 September 2024 |website=[[Shout! Factory]]}}</ref>

A limited edition Blu-ray was released in Australia by Via Vision Entertainment on March 26, 2025. It features new extras, such as interviews with actor Ben Feldman and director of photography Léo Hinstin, [[audio commentary]] by film critic [[Alexandra Heller-Nicholas]], and a [[video essay]] by [[Dread Central]] editor-in-chief Mary Beth McAndrews.<ref>{{Cite web |last=DiVincenzo |first=Alex |date=January 17, 2025 |title=Journey to Hell with 'As Above, So Below' on Blu-ray from Australia's Via Vision |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/home-video/3851058/journeys-to-hell-with-as-above-so-below-on-blu-ray-from-australias-via-vision/ |website=[[Bloody Disgusting]]}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://asabovesobelowmovie.tumblr.com/}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{mojo title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{Metacritic film}}

{{John Erick Dowdle}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:As Above, So Below}}
[[Category:2014 American films]]
[[Category:2014 films]]
[[Category:2014 horror films]]
[[Category:2014 adventure films]]
[[Category:2014 horror thriller films]]
[[Category:Adventure horror films]]
[[Category:American adventure films]]
[[Category:American horror thriller films]]
[[Category:Camcorder films]]
[[Category:Films set in Paris]]
[[Category:Films shot in Paris]]
[[Category:Found footage horror films]]
[[Category:Legendary Pictures films]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures films]]
[[Category:Films directed by John Erick Dowdle]]
[[Category:Films produced by Thomas Tull]]
[[Category:2014 English-language films]]
[[Category:2010s French-language films]]
[[Category:French-language American films]]
[[Category:Films produced by Jon Jashni]]
[[Category:Films set in subterranea]]
[[Category:Films set in hell]]
[[Category:Films based on Inferno (Dante)]]
[[Category:English-language horror thriller films]]
[[Category:English-language adventure films]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=As Above, So Below (film)|access_date=2026-02-26}}