As Above, So Below
Dir: John Erick Dowdle
2014
****
John Erick Dowdle's Found Footage style horror film As Above, So Below is a film that doesn't really stick to one sub-genre. Horror films are the most varied of all the genres but the best ones are the ones that surprise with originality and intelligence. As Above, So Below's strength is that it is actually a clever thriller with scary bits, a good story with tension and suspense and not just ghostly faces slightly off screen. The story is a little bit Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade but forgivably so. What starts out as a spooky cave excursion turns into a surreal nightmare, a quite compelling one at that. I usually don't like found footage films but this was fairly light on shaky camera tricks and was easy to watch, although I'm not sure this element brought anything extra, conventional filming would have been just as effective. The acting is marginally better than average too and the conclusion was not a disappointment. I'm being generous with my rating, it's not perfect by any means but the inventiveness and creepiness towards the end was quite thrilling. The slasher film is dead and although I don't think the Found Footage genre has reached its full potential, with films like this it is well on its way. The film also wins best film poster of the year.