Rec and the frankly ridiculous Devil (from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan), John Erick Dowdle moves back into familiar territory with found-footage horror movie As Above, So Below. Following archaeologist Scarlett (Perdita Weeks) and her accomplices down into the Parisian catacombs in search of the fabled philosopher’s stone, the film documents the inevitable issues and trauma arising from a descent deeper and deeper into the bowels of the city. Having directed the flimsy American remake ofand the frankly ridiculous(from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan), John Erick Dowdle moves back into familiar territory with found-footage horror movie. Following archaeologist Scarlett (Perdita Weeks) and her accomplices down into the Parisian catacombs in search of the fabled philosopher’s stone, the film documents the inevitable issues and trauma arising from a descent deeper and deeper into the bowels of the city.





in the dark. The second problem – and this may just be true for me – is the found-footage camerawork which made me feel quite sick because no-one can hold the camcorders still for five seconds. The characters apparently couldn’t afford to add a Steadicam to their array of expensive equipment. There are two problems with the film that need to be addressed before going further: first of all, the plot feels like ‘Harry Potter goes horror’, because it is really hard to hear the words ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ and ‘Nicolas Flamel’ without just picturing three pre-teenagers wandering around after dark, but instead we have five post-teenagers wandering aroundthe dark. The second problem – and this may just be true for me – is the found-footage camerawork which made me feel quite sick because no-one can hold the camcorders still for five seconds. The characters apparently couldn’t afford to add a Steadicam to their array of expensive equipment.













Devil’s Due, the terrible camerawork is largely forgivable because the film actually has a lot to offer. For once, there seems to be a focus not only on the central character but on the cameraman himself, who falls prey to one of the most uncomfortable but well-constructed sequences of claustrophobia I’ve seen in some time. While not helping the Harry Potter analogy, the posh-totty voiced Scarlett is a decent female lead, whose own ghosts make the descent with her in a predictable but entertaining manner. However, unlike the similarly nauseating, the terrible camerawork is largely forgivable because the film actually has a lot to offer. For once, there seems to be a focus not only on the central character but on the cameraman himself, who falls prey to one of the most uncomfortable but well-constructed sequences of claustrophobia I’ve seen in some time. While not helping the Harry Potter analogy, the posh-totty voiced Scarlett is a decent female lead, whose own ghosts make the descent with her in a predictable but entertaining manner.





Where the scares are concerned, it does take a long time to get to them, but they are actually scary and surprisingly refreshing, making a nice change from the usual found-footage tropes where possessed people spend the last twenty minutes throwing people about with unexplained telekinesis. Considering the fact I was in an entirely empty cinema at the time, the claustrophobia factor was surprisingly effective, plus the growing sense of dread is competently executed and did result in yours truly coiling up in fear towards the end.





Into the Storm is that every camera retains high-definition quality regardless of whether said camera is a helmet-cam, a handheld camcorder or a fully-fledged film-quality camera. The plot does keep you guessing throughout, which some could use an excuse for the story simply wandering aimlessly, but as the ending is well-handled and fairly different to what you’d expect, and given how badly the endings of every other found-footage film has panned out is something to celebrate. A couple of niggles that have been inherited from those other movies and most recently fromis that every camera retains high-definition quality regardless of whether said camera is a helmet-cam, a handheld camcorder or a fully-fledged film-quality camera.





As Above, So Below kicking and screaming into the realm of sub-par. But thanks to a well-developed sense of dread and a focus on more than just jump scares, it exceeds average expectations and provides an involving and entertaining horror romp…just take some motion sickness pills first. With a frankly ridiculous plot and nauseating camerawork, there are many things that could pullkicking and screaming into the realm of sub-par. But thanks to a well-developed sense of dread and a focus on more than just jump scares, it exceeds average expectations and provides an involving and entertaining horror romp…just take some motion sickness pills first.



