As Above, So Below ** (2014, Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman, François Civil) – Movie Review

Perdita Weeks stars as a Lara Croft-style English posh lady tomb raider, who leads a team of explorers into the catacombs beneath the streets of Paris. What lies beneath in the ancient drains isn’t exactly what she bargained for but instead is some kind of scary dark secret in this ancient city of the dead.

Co-writer/director John Erick Dowdle’s horror thriller movie (written with his brother Drew) is creepy and extremely well made in a lovely production, but it’s totally bonkers. It doesn’t really make any sense at all, and you wish it did. Because, if it did, they’d have a really good movie on their hands, instead of a diverting, honourable failure. A further problem is, it gets more baffling and crazy as it goes along, and by its third act, you’ve lost patience with and interest in it.

Weeks is good, and so is Ben Feldman as the tormented American expert she drags reluctantly into her project and down the catacombs, with François Civil fine in support as Papillon, heading the French team.

John wrote and directed his first feature, Full Moon Rising (1996) just out of college. For his sophomore effort, The Dry Spell, John was joined by his brother Drew, who produced the film while John wrote, directed and edited. They now live in Los Angeles, working together as The Brothers Dowdle. They’re also known for The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007) and Quarantine (2008). John also directed Devil in 2010. The talent’s there, all they have to is get their act together.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Movie Review

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