Ash
Directed by Flying Lotus
Written by Jonni Remmler
Starring Eiza González, Aaron Paul, Iko Uwais, Beulah Koale, Kate Elliott
Rating R
Runtime 95 minutes
In Theaters March 21st

by Tori Potenza, Staff Writer

Movies made for pure “vibes” don’t always get the credit they deserve. Sure, we love a well-crafted and complex story and detailed character development, but it's also great to tune out and just link up with a movie on a cerebral level. Filmmakers like Nicolas Winding Refn and Gaspar Noé have certainly shown us how important the vibes can be. Flying Lotus is certainly a unique creative mind and Ash shows off his strengths in creating atmosphere, bizarre imagery, and a hefty dose of those sweet, sweet vibes.

Riya (Eiza González) wakes up to find that she has no memories but all around her is carnage and mayhem. She turns out to be a member of a crew on a space station, on a distant planet. But she is alone, and her entire crew is either dead or missing. As she attempts to discover what happened and obtain her lost memories, she also fights for survival trying to escape the destroyed space station. But she may not be alone, and the truth may be more than she bargained for.

Flying Lotus directed one of the best segments in the anthology V/H/S/99 (“Oz’s Dungeon”), so it is no surprise that he incorporates that similar style and flair for theatrics in his new feature Ash. The film is light on plot but heavy on the vibes, which is not always everyone’s cup of tea, but I think the perfect combination of effects, neon lighting, and synthesizer music can be more than enough to have a great time with a movie. All in all, Ash is an entertaining ride, though the uneven flow makes it feel much longer than its runtime by the end. One part feels like a slow surreal character study while the other is a gory action fueled survival film.

Eiza González does a great job being the focal character in this chamber piece of a story. I found myself really enjoying the moral conversations she and Brion (Aaron Paul) continue to circle around. While Riya feels like digging into the mystery of what happened to her crew is essential, she is urged to forget and not worry about it because she needs to focus on surviving and the overall “mission” the crew had. Though there is something about Riya’s determination to dig into her past no matter how dark or terrible it is in order to find the truth, as opposed to burying the emotions and trauma down and hoping they never resurface. It is only a portion of what is happening in the story but one that feels relevant to the importance of and resistance we have to doing our shadow work.

Considering the fact that Flying Lotus cast someone like Iko Uwais (the incredible martial artist and lead of The Raid: Redemption), you know that there will be some great physical performances and set pieces. While it takes a while to get there, it does not disappoint. There are some incredible practical effects and horrific nightmare imagery strewn throughout the film that are really impressive to see. The color palette and music (done by Lotus himself, of course) along with the tight no frills writing, make it hard not to think of John Carpenter. Plus, the character and setting really align Riya and Ridley from the Alien, framing her as a similar kind of sci-fi heroine.

Even though Ash lacks in story development and has some pacing issues, Flying Lotus clearly knows how to take a simple idea and make it compelling and gorgeous to look at. His visual eye and love of body horror elements are very big strengths for him as a filmmaker and make me excited to see the other creative endeavors he has on the horizon. Even some of the small details throughout the film like the first aid kit patches and the cheery Japanese surgery robot give you an appreciation for the subtle world building and creative futuristic concepts. If you enjoy well executed phantasmagorical imagery with blood, action, and plenty of vibes you are sure to have a good time with Ash.

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