Ash
is unsettling, I’ll give it that much. Flying Lotus, who directed the film, knows how to set the tone for what’s to come and I was instantly drawn into the mystery. Visually, the film is wondrous yet creepy and Eiza Gonzalez and Aaron Paul are strong performers. Unfortunately, this is a situation where the script from Jonny Remmler doesn’t rise far beyond its intriguing premise, favoring the mystery over its characters.
When we’re first introduced to Riya (Eiza González), she’s freshly awakened after being knocked unconscious by something — or someone — she doesn’t remember. As she walks around the spaceship where she and her fellow astronauts took residence, she’s met with their horrifyingly mutilated dead bodies. How they died is a mystery as Riya struggles to remember. When she steps outside, the planet they’ve landed on is beautiful and ominous to her eyes. She sees someone from afar mimicking her movements, and she’s shocked to meet Brion (Aaron Paul) when she returns to the ship, who helps her piece together the memories she’s lost.
Ash Builds Intensity Through Its Visual Language
Ash is a visually resplendent film that is intoxicating to look at. The filmmakers turn the location into a haunting place filled with dread and you can’t help but feel like you’re ready to jump at every corner Riya turns, suspicious of everything and terrified of what she might come up against. This creates tension and Riya’s memory loss only adds to the feelings of disconcertment. We’re never sure who to trust, and that includes Riya.
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Patterson knows how to set up the storyline and the payoff that will come in the second half & understands the journey to get there is half the fun.
Glimpses into Riya’s memories as they crop up only give us half the story as Ash builds towards an explosive ending that is distressing as much as it is horrific. These aspects of the story maintain intrigue and fuel the intensity of the film, though the final act feels as though it has a couple of false endings before settling on one that sticks. Richard Bluck’s cinematography, paired with Bryan Shaw’s editing and Flying Lotus’ score work in tandem to create a deeply unsettling atmosphere.
Ash’s Characters Are Left Stranded
But Eiza González’s Performance Anchors The Film
I only wish the film’s character work was as strong as its visual language. The one-location setting works for a time, but it eventually feels like a drawback for Riya. As the central character, Eiza González delivers a solid performance laced with fear, resolve, and dread. You can’t help but worry about her. When Riya discovers new information that alters her identity perceptions, González expertly shifts between a myriad of emotions as she faces Brion. Aaron Paul is also very good, and his reactions to Riya become more wary as the film goes on, making for an engaging dynamic between them.
Characters were given one-note characterizations so that when we learned how they died, I felt very little about them or their connection with Riya.
Despite great performances, Ash leaves its characters by the wayside in favor of keeping the mystery alive. Even that begins to peter out after a while. Flashbacks to the rest of the crew, including Beulah Koale’s Kevin, don’t do much to establish the relationships Riya had with them. We’re told rather than shown that she and Kevin were romantically involved, weakening one of the film’s biggest reveals. It also removed some of the film’s intensity. Characters were given one-note characterizations so that when we learned how they died, I felt very little about them or their connection with Riya.
Ash has highs and lows. Its tension can overshadow its thin character development. To keep the mystery going, the film had to keep us at arm’s length. At the same time, the film’s lack of character-building removed some of the investment I had for what happens next — to Riya and the mission. Ash can be horrific and genuinely startling; there’s a specific scene near the end that underscores the apprehension that permeates the film. It’s chilling and memorable. And yet, had the sci-fi thriller given its characters more dimension, it would have been all the stronger.
Ash premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival.
Ash
5/10
- Release Date
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March 21, 2025