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'''''As Above, So Below''''' is a 2014 American horror film written and directed by John Erick Dowdle and co-written by his brother Drew. The title refers to the popular paraphrase of the second verse of the [[Emerald Tablet]]. It is presented as found footage of a documentary crew's experience exploring the Catacombs of Paris and was loosely based on the seven layers of [[Hell]]. | '''''As Above, So Below''''' is a 2014 American horror film written and directed by John Erick Dowdle and co-written by his brother Drew. The title refers to the popular paraphrase of the second verse of the [[Emerald Tablet]]. It is presented as found footage of a documentary crew's experience exploring the Catacombs of Paris and was loosely based on the seven layers of [[Hell]]. | ||
The film was produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Universal Pictures, making it the first film in Legendary's deal with Universal. | The film was produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Universal Pictures, making it the first film in Legendary's deal with Universal. After its November [[13 (number)|13]], 2014 release, ''As Above, So Below'' received generally negative reviews from critics, but grossed $41 million against its $5 million budget. | ||
==Plot== | ==Plot== | ||
Scarlett Marlowe is a young scholar, continuing her dead father's search for the [[philosopher's stone]], a legendary [[alchemy|alchemical]] substance discovered by [[Nicolas Flamel]]. The stone is capable of turning base metals into gold or silver and granting eternal life. Scarlett finds the "Rose Key" artifact in a cave slated for demolition, but after she sees a vision of a hanged man, the demolition begins and she narrowly escapes. | Scarlett Marlowe is a young scholar, continuing her dead father's search for the [[philosopher's stone]], a legendary [[alchemy|alchemical]] substance discovered by [[Nicolas Flamel]]. The stone is capable of turning base metals into gold or silver and granting eternal life. Scarlett finds the "Rose Key" artifact in a cave slated for demolition, but after she sees a vision of a [[The Hanged Man|hanged man]], the demolition begins and she narrowly escapes. | ||
Scarlett travels to Paris. She enlists her former lover George and her cameraman Benji. Using codes from the key, they solve a riddle on Flamel's headstone and get coordinates pointing to the | Scarlett travels to Paris. She enlists her former lover George and her cameraman Benji. Using codes from the key, they solve a riddle on Flamel's headstone and get coordinates pointing to the Catacombs of Paris. Scarlett tries to reach the location on an official tour, but it is off-limits. A stranger tells them a guide called Papillon will help them if they find him at a nearby party. Scarlett enlists Papillon, his girlfriend Souxie and his friend Zed. | ||
Papillon takes the group to an off-limits entrance. George initially refuses to enter, but when a policeman confronts them, the group escapes into the caves. They encounter singing female cultists, including a woman they saw at the party. As the group crawls through a narrow tunnel, it collapses, trapping them and forcing them onward. The group finds a blocked tunnel, but Papillion explains people who go through that tunnel disappear. His friend ''La Taupe'' (i.e. "The Mole") is among the missing. He tries to take a different path, but the group somehow loops back to the blocked tunnel, and they decide to break through. | Papillon takes the group to an off-limits entrance. George initially refuses to enter, but when a policeman confronts them, the group escapes into the caves. They encounter singing female cultists, including a woman they saw at the party. As the group crawls through a narrow tunnel, it collapses, trapping them and forcing them onward. The group finds a blocked tunnel, but Papillion explains people who go through that tunnel disappear. His friend ''La Taupe'' (i.e. "The Mole") is among the missing. He tries to take a different path, but the group somehow loops back to the blocked tunnel, and they decide to break through. | ||
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Inside, the group encounters ''La Taupe''. He tells them going further down is the only way out. They eventually find a tomb with a preserved [[Knights Templar|Templar Knight]], a mound of treasure, and the Flamel Stone. After they take the stone, attempting to take the treasure triggers a trap and collapses the room. ''La Taupe'' seems lost under the rubble. | Inside, the group encounters ''La Taupe''. He tells them going further down is the only way out. They eventually find a tomb with a preserved [[Knights Templar|Templar Knight]], a mound of treasure, and the Flamel Stone. After they take the stone, attempting to take the treasure triggers a trap and collapses the room. ''La Taupe'' seems lost under the rubble. | ||
Using the Flamel Stone, Scarlett magically heals a wound on Souxie's arm. They find a drawing of a door on the ceiling along with a [[Seal of Solomon|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" in Greek, identical to the script on the entrance to [[Hell]] in Dante's Inferno. | Using the Flamel Stone, Scarlett magically heals a wound on Souxie's arm. They find a drawing of a door on the ceiling along with a [[Seal of Solomon|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" in Greek, identical to the script on the entrance to [[Hell]] in [[Dante Alighieri|Dante]]'s ''Inferno''. | ||
On the other side of the tunnel, the group finds an upside-down reflection of the room they just left, where somehow ''La Taupe'' is waiting. He kills Souxie and disappears. Deeper in, the cultist from the party pushes Benji to his death. Papillon is then sucked into a burning car with an apparition of his brother inside, who looks just like the stranger who told Scarlett to find Papillon. The car implodes and buries Papillon in the floor. Scarlett, George, and Zed move on and see apparitions of terrifying spirits and demons. Statues in the wall come to life, and one rips open George's throat. Scarlett tries to heal the wound with the Flamel Stone, but cannot. She realizes she stole a false stone, and she must return it to its original place to find the real stone and heal George. | On the other side of the tunnel, the group finds an upside-down reflection of the room they just left, where somehow ''La Taupe'' is waiting. He kills Souxie and disappears. Deeper in, the cultist from the party pushes Benji to his death. Papillon is then sucked into a burning car with an apparition of his brother inside, who looks just like the stranger who told Scarlett to find Papillon. The car implodes and buries Papillon in the floor. Scarlett, George, and Zed move on and see apparitions of terrifying spirits and demons. Statues in the wall come to life, and one rips open George's throat. Scarlett tries to heal the wound with the Flamel Stone, but cannot. She realizes she stole a false stone, and she must return it to its original place to find the real stone and heal George. | ||
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==Cast== | ==Cast== | ||
* Perdita Weeks as Scarlett Marlowe, an accomplished scholar in search of the philosopher's stone. | * Perdita Weeks as Scarlett Marlowe, an accomplished scholar in search of 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. | * 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. | * Edwin Hodge as Benji, Scarlett's cameraman and tech specialist. | ||
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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 gross of $41.9 million. | 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 gross of $41.9 million. | ||
==External links== | |||
* [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2870612/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk IMDB entry] | |||
[[Category:Occult Movies]] | [[Category:Occult Movies]] | ||
[[Category:Alchemy]] | |||