I’m a huge horror fan, and I don’t say that lightly. I’ve watched a lot of horror movies – big studio releases, obscure indie films, foreign horrors, and niche titles with low IMDb scores that most people skip entirely. And after all of that, As Above, So Below is still my number one horror film of all time.
As Above So Below – My All-Time Number One Horror Movie
The story follows a group of explorers who descend into the Paris Catacombs in search of the legendary philosopher’s stone, inspired by the real-life alchemist Nicolas Flamel. What begins as an exciting, almost academic quest slowly turns into something far darker as the tunnels become more confusing, more oppressive, and deeply personal. The further they go, the more the line between reality, guilt, and the supernatural begins to blur.
What I love most about this film is the atmosphere. The found-footage style makes everything feel raw and immersive, as if you’re right there with them – lost underground, surrounded by bones, with no clear way out. The claustrophobia is intense, the darkness feels endless, and instead of relying on cheap jump scares, the movie builds fear through tension, symbolism, and psychological unease. It feels more like a descent into hell than a typical horror setup.
This film impressed me so much that after watching it, I actually visited the Paris Catacombs myself. Walking through those narrow tunnels in real life – knowing what lies beneath the city and remembering scenes from the movie – made the experience even more unsettling. It gave the film an extra layer of realism that still makes it stick with me to this day.
It’s actually possible to book a Paris Catacombs tour that includes restricted areas, giving you access to sections of the underground tunnels that aren’t open to the general public.
If you’re curious to see how this film spilled into real life for me, you can also check out my post Unique Things To Do In Paris where I share my experience visiting the Paris Catacombs and the former home of the legendary alchemist Nicholas Flamel that’s also the oldest house in Paris (1407) and now a fine restaurant, the Auberge Nicolas Flamel.
As Above, So Below is the kind of horror that lingers. It’s smart, uncomfortable, symbolic, and deeply atmospheric. If you love horror movies that feel suffocating, psychological, and genuinely haunting rather than flashy, this film sets the standard – and the movies listed below are the closest I’ve found to capturing that same chilling vibe.
Best Horror Movies Like As Above So Below That Take You Somewhere You Were Never Supposed To Find
The following films are in my opinion the best horror movies similar to As Above So Below that capture that same sense of dread, descent, and creeping psychological unease.
1. Devil’s Pass – also known as The Dyatlov Pass Incident (2013)
Inspired by the mysterious Dyatlov Pass incident, this found-footage horror follows a group of students investigating what really happened during a fatal expedition decades earlier. Set in a frozen, isolated landscape, the film slowly builds tension through paranoia, secrecy, and the unsettling feeling that some places are better left unexplored.
IMDB: Devil’s Pass
2. Grave Encounters (2011)
A ghost-hunting TV crew locks themselves inside an abandoned psychiatric hospital for a night of filming, expecting fake scares – not real terror. As the building begins to shift and escape becomes impossible, the film turns into a tense and genuinely creepy descent into chaos and fear.
IMDB: Grave Encounters
3. Grave Encounters 2 (2012)
Obsessed with the events of the first film, a group of students sets out to uncover the truth behind the infamous asylum. When they return to the building, reality begins to unravel, pushing the horror further into madness, obsession, and the terrifying idea of being trapped somewhere that defies logic.
IMDB: Grave Encounters 2
4. The Descent (2005)
A group of friends explore an uncharted cave system, only to become hopelessly lost underground. Dark, intense, and relentlessly claustrophobic, this film delivers raw survival horror where fear comes not just from what lurks in the shadows – but from the crushing darkness itself.
IMDB: The Descent
5. The Pyramid (2014)
After discovering a hidden pyramid buried beneath the Egyptian desert, a team of archaeologists descends inside to investigate. What they uncover is far more dangerous than they expected, turning their exploration into a deadly fight for survival against ancient forces.
IMDB: The Pyramid
6. The Ritual (2017)
Four friends hiking through a remote Swedish forest take an ill-advised shortcut after a tragedy brings them together. Surrounded by ancient woods and strange symbols, the film slowly builds an atmosphere of dread, blending grief, folklore, and a growing sense of being watched.
IMDB: The Ritual
7. Chernobyl Diaries (2012)
A group of tourists seek thrills by visiting the abandoned city of Pripyat near the Chernobyl exclusion zone. As night falls, the empty streets and crumbling buildings become increasingly threatening, turning an urban exploration trip into a tense and dangerous nightmare.
IMDB: Chernobyl Diaries
8. Ghost Ship (2002)
When a salvage crew discovers an abandoned luxury liner drifting at sea, they see an opportunity for an easy reward. But the ship holds a violent and cursed history that soon reveals itself, delivering stylish, eerie horror with a memorable opening and a haunting atmosphere.
IMDB: Ghost Ship
9. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Three filmmakers venture into the woods to document a local legend and gradually lose their way. Using minimal visuals and raw realism, this groundbreaking horror relies on fear of the unseen, isolation, and psychological tension rather than traditional scares.
IMDB: The Blair Witch Project
10. Hell House LLC (2015)
A haunted house attraction is set up inside an abandoned hotel, but a tragic incident on opening night sparks an investigation. Told through recovered footage and interviews, the film delivers slow-burn horror filled with subtle background scares and an ever-growing sense of doom.
IMDB: Hell House LLC
11. 1408 (2007)
A skeptical writer who specializes in debunking haunted locations checks into a hotel room with a dark reputation. Once inside, he becomes trapped in a terrifying psychological experience where reality bends, time fractures, and escape feels impossible.
IMDB: 1408
12. The Borderlands – Also Known As Final Prayer (2013)
Sent to investigate alleged supernatural activity at a remote rural church, a team of Vatican investigators document strange and unsettling events. The film builds quietly and methodically, creating an atmosphere of creeping dread that leads to a deeply disturbing conclusion.
IMDB: The Borderlands
13. A Dark Song (2016)
A grieving woman and an occultist isolate themselves inside a remote house to perform an intense ritual. Slow, heavy, and deeply oppressive, this film offers a disturbing look at obsession, loss, and the terrifying cost of forbidden knowledge.
IMDB: A Dark Song
14. Jeruzalem (2015)
Filmed through smart glasses, this found-footage horror follows tourists visiting Jerusalem as biblical prophecies begin to unfold. As the city descends into chaos, ancient mythology collides with modern technology in an increasingly unsettling way.
IMDB: Jeruzalem
15. The Ruins (2008)
A group of travelers explore a remote ancient ruin, only to find themselves trapped with no way out. Bleak and increasingly disturbing, the film leans into survival horror and body horror as hope slowly disappears.
IMDB: The Ruins
16. The Ninth Gate (1999)
A rare-book dealer is hired to authenticate a mysterious, centuries-old text rumored to have been written with help from the devil himself. As his investigation takes him across Europe, he becomes entangled in occult rituals, secret societies, and dangerous obsessions. Slow, atmospheric, and steeped in symbolism, this film is a moody descent into forbidden knowledge and quiet, creeping dread.
IMDB: The Ninth Gate
17. The Forest (2016)
Set in Japan’s infamous Aokigahara Forest, this atmospheric horror follows a woman searching for her missing sister in a place known for its tragic past. As she ventures deeper into the woods, the forest begins to distort reality, feeding on grief, fear, and unresolved trauma. Quiet, eerie, and heavy on mood, the film leans into psychological horror rather than constant scares.
IMDB: The Forest
18. The Cellar (2022)
The Cellar follows a mother who uncovers terrifying secrets after her daughter mysteriously disappears inside the cellar of their new home. As strange symbols and hidden recordings surface, the house reveals itself as a gateway to an ancient, malevolent force that bends reality and traps its victims.
IMDB: The Cellar
19. The Other Side Of The Door (2016)
It’s a supernatural horror about a grieving mother who visits a remote temple after her young son dies and finds a ritual that lets her speak to him one last time. When she breaks the sacred rule to never open the mysterious door between the living and the dead, she upsets the balance and unleashes malevolent forces that begin to haunt her family.
IMDB: The Other Side Of The Door
20. The Tunnel (2011)
This an Australian found-footage horror film is about a determined journalist and her small camera crew who venture into the abandoned railway tunnels beneath Sydney to investigate a suspected government cover-up and unexplained disappearances. As they delve deeper into the dark, claustrophobic labyrinth, they encounter a terrifying creature and quickly realize the danger was real and far worse than they ever imagined.
IMDB: The Tunnel
21. The Deep House (2021)
The Deep House follows a young couple who dive into a mysteriously well-preserved house submerged at the bottom of a remote lake. What begins as an exploration quickly becomes a claustrophobic nightmare when they realize the house is haunted – and escaping may be impossible.
IMDB: The Deep House
Final Thoughts
The first thing I always notice with great footage films is how easily they pull you in, whether they’re driven by an evil spirit, raw emotion, or pure survival instinct. Horror has a strange way of overlapping with other genres too – sometimes echoing the tension of a norwegian disaster thriller, other times unexpectedly slipping into the emotional territory of a coming-of-age movie before everything falls apart.
If you’re one of those found footage horror fans who lives for that “this feels too real” panic, this list is basically made for you. I keep seeing people recommend these on TikTok – make, usually alongside classics like paranormal activity, and honestly? There’s a good reason the format still works. The found footage genre makes fear feel immediate, like you’re right there with the main characters, and that realism is exactly what turns a normal scary movie into something that messes with the human psyche. Whether a film is marketed like a true story, rooted in an urban legend, adapted from source material, or built around a simple short story-style setup, the best ones make reality wobble until supernatural blurs and you start questioning everything.
Across the above listed films, you’ll find all kinds of nightmares: a doomed film crew, a reckless team of explorers, and even a stranded team of divers who realize they’re in the wrong place at the worst time. Sometimes the focus is a young woman uncovering a dark secret; other times it’s a college student in over their head, or a whole crowd of people swept up in chaos. You’ll run into supernatural horror where supernatural forces and an evil force take control, and also stories that feel more grounded – like the threat of a serial killer or a mysterious past that refuses to stay buried. And when these movies hit, they hit with great effect: creeping dread, full-body tension, and moments that can genuinely trigger panic attacks if you’re sensitive to that kind of pressure-cooker fear.
A huge part of the appeal is the settings. One minute you’re in a dark place like the catacombs of paris, the next you’re trapped in a remote abandoned church, out on a brutal road trip, or stuck somewhere isolated near the bering sea. Some stories even kick off with vibes that feel almost fun – like spring break energy – before everything turns sinister in the most brutal, hard way possible. And I love how horror sneaks real life into the background too: a television reporter making things worse, a hint of family drama turning into full family tragedy, or unsettling details like homeless people appearing at the edges of a scene, making the world feel cold and real.
Some of these picks are cult classic titles, others were a directorial debut, and a few are widely considered a director’s best work. If your benchmark is As Above, So Below, it’s also worth remembering director john erick dowdle helped define this specific style of tension – that tight, claustrophobic horror feeling where escape seems impossible. That’s the best way to describe why these are among the best movies to watch when you want something intense: they don’t just scare you in the moment, they stay with you for a long time, lingering well past the credits roll and sometimes even into the next day.
And because horror fans love connecting dots, you’ll always see wild comparisons and name-drops – from final destination to jason voorhees, and even random pop-culture side notes like michael b. jordan, denis o’hare, or singer pink in comment sections and watch-party debates. Whether you’re watching these for the first time, lining them up as a double feature, or building a list of your own favorite horror movies, these are absolutely worth watching. Just don’t be surprised if one of them drops a sharp plot twist right when you think you’re safe – or if you finish one and suddenly decide that checking out that late night shift at a creepy juke joint sounds like a terrible idea.
If you want to chase the scariest movies without relying only on loud jump scares, these similar movies deliver: raw tension, disturbing supernatural elements, and that lingering “I shouldn’t have watched this alone” feeling that horror lovers secretly come back for every time.
Thanks for stopping by!
Magda
xoxo
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