Film

As Above, So Below

Name: As Above, So Below
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Released: 2014
Cast: Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman, Edwin Hodge, François Civil, Marion Lambert

A found-footage descent into the Paris catacombs where a team of urban explorers encounters something far worse than bones. Claustrophobic, genuinely unsettling, and visually inventive—it treats the underground labyrinth as a character itself. For anyone who loves horror that trusts atmosphere over jump scares.

TMDb rating

3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy found-footage style claustrophobia where the dread of tight passages and the slow unraveling of a group's trust matter more than jump scares.

Skip it if you need a steady stream of scares or a light touch, since much of the run time is cramped crawling, shaky handheld camera, and tension that builds without much release.

What it asks of you: Ninety-three minutes of close quarters and mounting unease, with the camera rarely letting you catch your breath, so settle in for a tense, claustrophobic ride.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Descent2005

A masterpiece of claustrophobic horror. Cave systems become a trap, darkness is weaponized, and the film earns every scare through relentless tension and genuine character peril.

But The second half pivots to creature-feature territory, which some find less effective than the pure psychological dread of the opening descent.

Martyrs2008

Relentless French horror that builds from intimate terror to something operatic and spiritually unsettling. Asks difficult questions about faith and suffering that linger far beyond the credits.

But Graphic violence and torture are not spectacle here—they're the point. Genuinely difficult to watch if you need your horror to feel clean.

The Wailing2016

A South Korean masterpiece that treats horror as philosophy. Builds from a village mystery into something that questions reality, faith, and certainty itself. Hypnotic and bizarre in the best way.

But Nearly three hours, deliberately ambiguous, and demands active thought rather than passive viewing. The pacing is deliberate, not brisk.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from As Above, So Below

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Inferno1980

Both treat underground/enclosed spaces as conscious entities. Argento's building and the Paris catacombs are antagonists as much as setting—they have intentions.

Dario Argento's surrealist nightmare about an apartment building that may be the physical manifestation of evil itself. Pure visual storytelling—plot is secondary to mood, color, and architecture as character.

But 1980 Italian giallo isn't concerned with logic or conventional narrative. The story is intentionally dreamlike and frustrating if you need explanation.

Sinister2012

Found footage woven into a larger narrative about obsession and cycles of violence. The imagery is genuinely disturbing, and the ending has real weight rather than easy catharsis.

But Relies heavily on jump scares and loud noise cues in the second half. If you hate sudden sound design, it will feel cheap.

The Tunnel2011

Australian found-footage horror that uses the Sydney rail tunnels as a living nightmare. Inventive and genuinely tense, with strong practical effects and a real sense of dread.

But Shot on a micro-budget, so the image quality is deliberately degraded. Some won't get past the found-footage aesthetic, regardless of content.

A Dark Song2016

A grief-stricken woman hires an occultist to perform a ritual in an isolated house. Slow-burn spiritual horror that prioritizes character and atmosphere over plot mechanics.

But Very slow. If you need momentum and external conflict, the intimate chamber-piece approach will feel static or boring.

Hereditary2018

A family curse unfolds through meticulous direction and performances that shatter. Ari Aster treats horror as a vehicle for exploring grief, inherited trauma, and powerlessness.

But Genuinely shocking imagery that some experience as gratuitous. The horror is rooted in psychological and familial dread, not external threat.

The Ritual2017

A hiking trip into Swedish forests becomes a fight for survival against something old and patient. Strong character work grounds the escalating supernatural threat.

But Creature design is divisive—some find it generic. The final act abandons subtlety for spectacle in ways earlier scenes earned.

The Last Descent2016

Both use real cave systems and isolation as the true antagonist. As Above treats the catacombs as mystical; this strips away the fantastic and makes geology itself the trap.

A true account of a cave explorer's fatal descent into a narrow Utah slot canyon. Claustrophobic and devastating precisely because it happened and the physics are inescapable. Transforms caving into existential horror.

But No supernatural elements. The horror is anatomical and geological. If you need monsters or explanations, this is a slow, quiet suffocation instead.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams2010

Both treat underground caves with reverence and unease. Where As Above finds horror in the depths, Herzog finds archaeology and mystery. Same location type, opposite emotional register—what if the catacombs were ordinary and we were just afraid?

Werner Herzog's 3D documentary about the oldest painted caves in human history. Contemplative and strange—it treats the space as a time machine that connects us to minds 32,000 years extinct.

But A documentary, not narrative fiction. Deliberately slow and philosophical rather than thrilling. Herzog's narration is hypnotic or precious depending on your tolerance.