Review of As Above, So Below (2014) by Pyrrho's P — 17 Mar 2016

A very promising setting for a horror film, and one that has been used.

Surprisingly little (The Catacombs, 2007 is the only other example I.

Can find, which in a fun bit of trivia, stars the singer, Pink/Alecia.

Moore). The premise is also promising, mixing Dante with Dan Brown. (I.

Am not a modernist myself, which is a fancy way of saying that I don't.

Look down on projects that are not wholly or sufficiently original,.

Especially since the notion that "genius=highest level of originality" didn't.

Really develop until the mid-1800s). Lots of fun allusions for the.

Literati and history geeks, and a decent mechanism for explaining them for those who.

Aren't familiar with Dante's Inferno and the various historical legends/myths.

However, my bet is that the writers--who to this point had not had much.

Success, aside from Quarantine (2008), which barely turned a.

Profit--were more eager to get the project in theaters, than to get it.

Right. Therefore, a number of ideas are not fully developed or well explained, the resolution and ending feel conveniently tacked on, rather than a natural outgrowth of the storyline (could they have avoided attacks by the stone priests if they had simply reconciled themselves internally?, etc.). The same type of issues plague other characters and story lines. For example, the purpose and motivation of the wild-eyed girl who directs the "Catacombs Glee Club Choir" is not well defined (possibly jilted by.

Benji?). Also, the "mystery monk" and the "attacking stone priests" have no apparent motivation or purpose, other than to introduce new physical danger/creepiness of ancient religion: Souxie's transformation from "abandoned mole person" to wild animal is completely unexplained, while Pappilon's death by being sucked into the ground up to his knees (an allusion to the Dante) does not match the momentary and non-threatening nature of George's dead brother. So on and so on, it just feels like the writing, editing, and production process were rushed, resulting in a movie that was good, when it could've been great.