Ash

by Mike McGranaghan

At the end of Ash, the words “Directed by Flying Lotus” appeared onscreen. I assumed this meant the movie was made by a collective, kind of like how the directing team of Radio Silence made the two most recent Scream sequels and the comedy troupe Broken Lizard made Super Troopers. An IMDb search revealed it’s the moniker of one man, who not only directed this picture, he also co-produced it, has a supporting role, and composed the music. Handling all those roles would be impressive enough; that he’s made such a confident film as only his second feature is astonishing.

Riya Ortiz (Eiza Gonzalez) regains consciousness inside a space station on a distant planet. Her memory of what happened is gone, but the rest of the crew members are dead, having seemingly been violently killed. The only other survivor is Brion (Aaron Paul), who was keeping watch outside the station. He wants to leave the planet and rendezvous with the residents of other space stations. As flashes of memory come back to her, Riya prefers to stay so she can seek answers, especially since each new one suggests unspeakable horror.

I’ll say no more than that. Ash reminded me of 1997’s Event Horizon in that it punctuates its sci-fi story with quick bursts of nightmarish gore to create an unnerving impact. Riya can glimpse the unpleasant ways her colleagues died. With that horror in place, tension is built from the character realizing an alien creature could exist. Or Brion could have gone nuts and murdered everybody. Or, most disturbingly, it could have been her. Any of those options are sufficiently terrible.

The visual look of the movie accentuates the mystery at the center. Many times, special effects are there solely to prop up an idea – to create something that doesn’t really exist, allow for an impossible action, or fabricate an imaginary environment. The effects in Ash do so much more. They’re vital in enveloping the audience in the story’s mood. They convey the gruesomeness of the deaths, the hostility of the planet, and the disorientation Riya feels. Mr. Lotus didn’t have a $200 million budget to work with, but his movie looks way better than a lot of Hollywood blockbusters – including several of the recent Marvel movies – because the CGI has been crafted with thought and purpose.

Eiza Gonzalez is exceptional in the lead role. Amid the stunning visuals and occasional hallucinogenic vibes, she gives a grounded performance that roots everything in her character’s obsessive need for answers, even if the truth is too awful to bear. The actress guarantees we never lose focus on Riya’s personal journey. She builds tense chemistry with Aaron Paul, allowing the conflict between the crew members to become palpable for the viewer.

Eerie sound design and a lushly ominous musical score help to seal the deal. The plot may utilize bits and pieces from other works of cinematic science-fiction, but it assembles them with a strong creative vision. Flying Lotus is absolutely a filmmaker to keep an eye on. Ash blows your mind, puts it back together, then blows it again.

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