Alchemy and Hermeticism in As Above/So Below

Despite receiving an unfair amount of flack and hatred from mainstream critics, As Above/So Below managed to finish in the top 5 box office earners worldwide over its first two weeks, and earned nearly $42m against a $5m budget during its theatrical run. There's a simple reason for this: the movie is extremely entertaining, and wildly intelligent. Unfortunately for the film, no matter how well the intelligence is permeated throughout, there are many aspects that need to be more fully understood and researched to be appreciated in the format the film presents them, namely: Hermeticism and Dante's Inferno.

First and foremost, this is not a realistic film in any sense of the word; the audience needs to heavily suspend disbelief for the entirety of the 93-minute movie--it's very much a haunted house attraction that doesn't let up until the credits roll.

The film follows Scarlet, an archaeologist who is searching for the fabled Philosopher's Stone and Nicolas Flamel's tomb, which she believes to be in a hidden chamber in the Catacombs of Paris. Accompanying Scarlet is Benji, an American documentarian who is making a feature about the woman; George, an old friend/love interest and fellow student of theological and mythological folklore and history, as well as a talented linguist; and three urban explorers who act as the interim tour guides for our three characters--leader Papillion, climber Zed, and token goth chick Souxie.

One of the heavy positives of 'As Above' is the fact that after setting up the extremely clear…