How a horror film became the first to shoot in the Paris Catacombs
In short: In 2014, the found-footage horror film As Above, So Below achieved a cinematic first: official permission to film in the restricted, off-limits depths of the Paris Catacombs. The production faced extreme physical challenges, from navigating centuries-old tunnels without electricity to hauling a real piano six stories underground for a single scene.
Directed by John Erick Dowdle and co-written with his brother Drew, the film follows a group of explorers searching for the legendary philosopher's stone. The project was born from the brothers' desire to create an Indiana Jones-style adventure with a female lead, eventually evolving into a descent through an inverted version of the nine circles of Hell, inspired by Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic, The Divine Comedy.
Filming was a grueling, documentary-style endeavor. Because the catacombs lacked electricity, cell service, and even basic ventilation, the cast and crew operated with minimal lighting, often relying on headlamps. The environment was so restrictive that the production team had to test the air and water quality beforehand to ensure safety. Actors frequently crawled on all fours, and the physical toll was high; the directors noted that the cast and crew suffered from head injuries, and the team eventually struggled to handle natural sunlight after spending weeks in the dark.
The production's commitment to realism extended to its props and set design. A real car was set on fire underground, and a piano was painstakingly transported into a quarry six stories down to mirror a childhood memory of the directors. While the film received mixed critical reviews upon its August 2014 release, it proved to be a box office success, grossing $41.8 million worldwide. Years later, its popularity surged on Netflix, cementing its status as a cult favorite among horror enthusiasts.
Despite the film's technical ambition, it remains a subject of debate. Critics often pointed to its reliance on found-footage tropes, yet the film's unique setting and its attempt to blend Gnostic symbolism with supernatural horror have kept audiences intrigued. By the time the production wrapped, the filmmakers had spent five weeks shooting underground, leaving behind a legacy as the only production to capture the true, claustrophobic reality of the Parisian tunnels on screen.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: As Above, So Below (film)
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