Billed as a new “mindbender” from rapper/DJ/filmmaker Flying Lotus, Ash appears on paper to be a perfect fit for both South by Southwest Film and TV Festival and horror streamer Shudder. If only a captivating package had translated to an equally captivating final product. Ash is practically indistinguishable from a variety of other Alien clones—would anyone actually be able to tell that this hails from an exciting up-and-coming talent? There are glimpses of uniqueness, but they are constantly stifled by erratic editing and puzzling narrative choices. To put it plainly, the choppy nature makes it nearly impossible care about any of this space station’s crew or the dull planet they have arrived on. Send out a distress call for help: Ash is a hollow exercise in sci-fi survival horror that’s more video game cutscene than movie.
Riya (Eiza González, Baby Driver, Ambulance) wakes up at the top of the film, plagued by the first of our tropes: amnesia. Intense flashes of gore and mutilations jump out at her, but her crew all lie scattered about the space station. Bright flashes and loud announcements ring out to assault the senses. The whole station appears to be in some form of system failure. With oxygen levels comprised and the clock ticking, Riya must team up with Brion (Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad, Need for Speed), who claims to be checking in from a sister space station nearby. In Jonni Remmler’s overly generic script, the so-called twists and turns can be seen coming from a mile away. In fact, a final twist may be most obvious flourish of all for those with even a modicum of horror familiarity.
On a visual level, the cinematography may be excellent, but the costumes and set design pale in comparison to others from the subgenre. For an easy example, the recent, Oscar-nominated Alien: Romulus actually fit the bill. In comparison, Flying Lotus’s movie cannot hold a candle to it. Granted, the budget was probably 1/8 of Romulus, but still there are no excuses for looking cheap. Lotus puts it all into the practical effects work. If ever there was a title that perfectly epitomizes style over substance, it would be this one. Particularly in the final act, the effects that felt seamless at times begin to fall apart with an already silly sequence punctuated by ineffective CGI. The blood and gore still manage to impress, especially in a form that resembles a Resident Evil mutation.
Also not great: the performances from leading lady Gonzalez, and her main scene partner in Paul. Pinpointing whether their iffy dialogue is to blame or just the direction is anyone’s guess. Being that they are the leading players, a lot rests on their shoulders to make some of the hogwash actually sound believable. The rest of the crew (Iko Uwais, Kate Elliott, Beulah Koale, Flying Lotus himself) barely registers at all, probably because we only learn about them through copious flashbacks. The majority of the action sidelines them, which is a real shame and a definite missed opportunity. If structured differently, that would already fix one of the major issues here. They barely come across as actual characters, and clearly their absence in the present indicates their lack of relevancy.
The one element that unequivocally saves Ash from total disaster has to be the score, courtesy of Flying Lotus himself. It sounds funky and psychedelic, channeling a vibe that never quite matches the visuals. Even when every other element falls limp, the soundtrack never does. Other than the music, Lotus’s sci-fi horror serves up business as usual. There is nothing unique here, save for some nasty flashes of a much better movie. In essence a bargain bin Prometheus clone, Ash lacks originality and feels flavorless. This in no way diminishes the talents of Flying Lotus, but perhaps he could channel it next time into a more satisfying end product.
Embrace the goopy cosmic horrors of Ash, latching onto theaters everywhere on Friday, March 21st. Ash also screened at 2025’s SXSW Film & TV Festival.
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