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As Above/So Below leaves much to be desired for the avid movie goer, but for fans of the horror genre, there are only a handful of jump scares.

As Above/So Below is the newest instalment in the people-go-places- they-shouldn’t-and-then-badthings- happen horror genre, following in the footsteps of movies like The Chernobyl Diaries and The Descent.

The premise differs slightly where instead of wandering around exploring foolishly like so many of the protagonists in this genre, the main character, Scarlett, played by Perdita Weeks, has talked a reluctant group of followers into helping her search for the fabled Philosopher’s Stone.

In this horror version of The Da Vinci Code, the group destroys priceless artefacts and solves riddles that lead them deeper and deeper into the catacombs under Paris.

The setting of the movie is a bit disappointing, despite a great deal of promise. The characters spend a small amount of time exploring the true catacombs – (one character even points out that all of the interesting rooms are in another direction) – and instead we are treated to a great number of rock walls and awkward close-ups of body parts.

The “found footage” film style in general tends to be problematic with the shaking camera occasionally causing nausea, and in As Above/So Below it becomes especially frustrating as it greatly limits what you see on screen.

There are multiple scenes where the characters are freaking out because something happened, but all the audience sees are more rocks and feet.

Without going too much further into the plot, there is one point about Scarlett that was particularly infuriating. This is a character that somehow managed to attain multiple PhDs by the time she was 25. She still believes in alchemy and the Philosopher’s Stone despite being highly educated, yet laughs off warnings of danger as being silly urban legends.

This highly inconsistent character that also left her main love interest (played by Ben Feldman) to rot in a Turkish prison at some point in the past, is hard to feel invested in. Horror movies tend to work better when a viewer cares about the characters, but the only one developed enough to matter is revealed as being selfish and unlovable.

That said, there are a couple of things As Above/So Below does well.

There are some very interesting allusions to Judeo-Christian mythology, including the words that are supposedly written above the gates of hell. The pacing of the movie, after a pointless and culturally insensitive detour in Iran, is actually pretty great, avoiding the long lulls of walking that often happen in this type of movie. There are also a few strangely comedic scenes near the film’s climax that, so long as you haven’t been taking the movie too seriously, definitely add to the entertainment value.

If you’re looking to be genuinely scared, there isn’t much aside from a couple of jump scares and some creepy music. However, if you’re looking to be mildly entertained and have something to make fun of over drinks afterward, As Above/So Below has a great deal to offer.