VS AS ABOVE SO BELOW VS THE DESCENT: 2014, 2006: Horror: I generally hate movies that depict caves, spelunking, narrow spaces, etc. so both of these movies scared me at times. Although some of the scares were predictable in As Above So Below, they worked. The Descent had a much more tangible terror factor because it involved clever use of shadows and terrifying creatures. Again, the settings in both movies had a lot to do with getting me scared. Someone who isn't frightened by the scenario of being stuck in a cave, running out of oxygen, or being chased by creatures might not find these "scary" per se but I certainly did.
The sets in As Above were spot on for me and delivered appropriate feelings of dread.
Specifically, As Above So Below is set in the French Catacombs which actually exists and has a very sinister, albeit practical purpose. Throughout history, the corpses of the dead were placed in the catacombs and they began becoming so numerous, that they were sculpted into actual parts of the tunnels. This makes for a very eerie backdrop.
After doing a little research about it, the more I found out, the more I wanted to forget about those catacombs. HERE is more information on the topic..
While the setting of As Above created a sense of terror, the plot behind The Descent climaxed in unforeseen ways. Spoiler alert..At first the viewer might think it's just a standard cave exploration movie but it takes a different turn.
Don't look behind you..The Descent excelled in setting up the scares.
These movies reminded of The Cave, with Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), and Beneath, but I feel both of these movies were better.
Lena Headey in The Cave. I would hate being in this situation..
Descent turns up the gore with scenes like this.
What made As Above So Below different than the other movies mentioned was the fact that it had a compelling story that connected the characters in the movie well while also giving you reasons to keep watching it. Elements that pertained to mysticism, archaeology, and alchemy gave As Above some depth. It's the type of movie that you want to watch completely to see what happens in the end.
I wonder what happens when you go through there?
Nevermind!
The search for the Holy Grail? Well, sort of..
Although some of the camera work was nauseating in As Above, it didn't detract too much from the overall effect. Basically, John Dowdle wanted to capture the movement of the actors as they ran ala other "found footage" type movies. This works well to a certain extent, but it was overused, causing me to get distracted a few times. Think of The Blair With Project but more jumpy. Incidentally, if you want to see a list of the best "found footage" horror movies, here is a great list!
Some of the scenes were tough to watch due to the camera work.
Descent was more polished and the camera work was better.
Another element that got a little tiresome was the dialogue in As Above, which definitely seemed to go in circles. Much of the movie does as well, but this is intentional. It works to give you a sense of going deeper into hell or wherever they are going. It's not clear where they are heading, but it's deep under ground, repeats often, and resembles Dante's Purgatorio in some ways. I believe Purgatory was actually mentioned a few times. The plot and pacing of The Descent was multifaceted and had two stories interlaced. Neil Marshall should be commended for this
There was mention of purgatory and other elements resembling Dante's work.
The Descent had a nice surprise in the middle that made it almost another movie!
I enjoyed the endings of both movies but Descent comes out on top. In terms of horror elements, Descent wins hands down with excellent special effects as well as action.
The main character is a strong heroine that outshines all the other characters in the movie. Actually there were two in the movie. They kicked butt.
These actresses don't take any BS in The Descent.
The female lead in As Above is a strong character but plays the more cerebral, scientific role. This isn't to say she doesn't get involved in the action. A few times she resembled a female Indiana Jones.
While I enjoyed the scares in As Above they were a little more contrived and after awhile I could predict when they were going to occur. Also the pacing wasn't as intriguing as The Descent's.
This part freaked me out..only for a second though lol..
This part also scared me.
BUT THE WORST PART WAS>>>>
Just kidding, I have no idea why this is even related.
That's better. Anyway, I liked both movies but Descent is clearly the better one. I saw it awhile back so some of the details aren't as clear as Above so Below but they were so similar that I thought I should pit them against each other. No pun intended.
As Above So Below: 69%
The Descent: 81%
Carrie move over!
NO way I could do this. See how crisp the image from Descent is so much crisper?
THE DESCENT CRAWLERS SCENE
AS ABOVE SO BELOW SCENE
No comments:
Post a Comment