by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Going into your viewing of Ash, you might be asking who the director, Flying Lotus, actually is. Known mostly for his music and composition, Flying Lotus takes the reins of this new atmospheric horror flick set in space. It follows the experience of Riya (Eiza González), who awakens on a distant planet and finds her whole crew brutally mutilated around their ship. You might have seen other films which are narratively similar, but few give you the sensory experience that Ash does. You’ll certainly know who Flying Lotus is once you finish this movie.
Most viewers will praise Ash mostly for its technical aspects. With an eye-opening design, the planet’s colors are awe-inspiring, and many different facets come together to make the it stand out. And when it leans into being an action movie, Ash delivers well. Some of the visual effects look a little too artificial, but they effectively mix together with the grotesque designs of the creatures.
But what stands out most is the score. Flying Lotus is most known for his scores, and he composes this one, so it only makes sense that it’s a highlight. Flying Lotus wears his influences (particularly John Carpenter) on his sleeve, and with top-notch synthesizer work the score leans heavily into tones.
Unlike the vibes, this film will not be remembered for its story or narrative. Flying Lotus certainly highlights a lot of influences, but Jonni Remmler’s script is more like a series of horror greatest hits instead of a cohesive story. Plenty of scenes are basically lifted from other films, like Alien or The Thing. There are some big plot twists, but they’re so telegraphed and derivative that they lack weight and impact. Ash finds minimal time to explore character, so you are not connected too deeply. This causes it to be rich in vibes, but not a particularly well-rounded experience.
With this, González holds a lot of the weight of keeping the audience engaged on her shoulders. Thankfully, she brings so many little details into her physical performance: She displays, paranoia, rage, fear, and pain, making for some poignant moments.
The rest of the cast is heavily under-utilized, but Aaron Paul gets the most screen time. His performance isn’t anything special, but his presence at least makes his character feel notable. Iko Uwais is the only other actor who gets to shine, and it is mostly because of his impressive physicality. In particular, one action scene is a laboratory brawl that features Uwais where his martial arts background is heavily leaned on, which adds some dynamism to the movie.
Overall, Ash offers so many things to enjoy. It won’t go down as a new horror classic, but it has cult classic vibes written all over it. The visual and auditory experience makes this engrossing enough that groups of people will flock to midnight screenings to enjoy its wild and eerie atmosphere.
Rating: It Was Just Okay
Ash is currently playing in theaters
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