Musician and director Flying Lotus first caught my attention with his segment in the found-footage film VHS 99. Ozzy’s Dungeon was a chaotic introduction to Flying Lotus’ creative mind, with its grungy and gritty atmosphere perfectly complementing the subject matter. His latest film, Ash, exemplifies how he can align his imagination with the genre of Cosmic Sci-Fi Horror. However, while his visuals are striking, they can only do so much without a stronger screenplay to support them. Ash is a prime example of a familiar story elevated by an impressive score and unforgettable imagery but held back by a limited script.
Ash follows Riya (Eiza González) as she wakes up on a spacecraft, only to discover that the rest of her crew has been brutally slain. Struggling to remember who she is and where she is, Riya explores the ship and briefly examines its surroundings on an unknown planet. Soon, she encounters Brion (Aaron Paul), who initially appears to offer reassurance about the situation but comes off as somewhat untrustworthy. Together, Riya and Brion spend most of the movie trying to understand what has happened and how Riya can regain her memory of the events.
Ash draws inspiration from films such as The Thing, Prometheus, Pandorum, and other prominent sci-fi horror movies. What sets Ash apart from its predecessors is Flying Lotus’ Lovecraftian vision. In most of these films, the audience observes the disastrous situation from an external perspective; however, in Ash, viewers unfortunately experience the story alongside the main protagonist. This is achieved through flashbacks, alien-like triggers, and a montage of sensory-overloaded macro images. Flying Lotus does an excellent job of incorporating these alien visuals to connect the characters and the extraterrestrial environment, even if it demonstrates the film’s weakest part.
Flying Lotus is still finding his unique voice, which is noticeable in his creative choices. For instance, the film includes POV shots reminiscent of found-footage style, particularly in close-up fight scenes and interactions between crew members. The movie’s last act predominantly features this POV style, which contrasts with the cinematography used throughout the rest of the film.
My biggest gripe with Ash is the writing. I believe screenwriter Jonni Remmler, reveals too much too early, which prevents the audience from being surprised by the twists later in the film. From Zach on Arthouse, my friend Zach pointed out that “Alien wouldn’t have been as effective if Ridley Scott had walked onto a soundstage and was like, ‘Look at my xenomorph!’” I agree with Zach that revealing even a glimpse of your endgame shows a lack of trust in the audience. It would have been more effective to introduce those alien-like elements in the middle of the film instead of right at the beginning, allowing the audience to speculate on possible twists as the story comes to an end.
While Flying Lotus is still developing his directing style, it’s clear that the film’s score is its strong point. Featuring a mix of synths and piano chords, one track, Unusual Activity, even resembles the kind of sound I would use as an alarm in the morning. The music effectively complements the film’s themes of mystery and isolation, drawing comparisons to the scores of John Carpenter, who is also known for directing and composing.
Final Thoughts:
Flying Lotus is a horror director to keep your eye on. If he can collaborate with a writer who can match his creative vision, I’d be very excited to see what projects he does in the future. Ash is visually stunning, featuring some of the best CGI I have seen in a film of this caliber. The score is perfectly aligned with the on-screen events, enhancing the overall experience. However, the main issue holding Ash back is the writing, which fails to feel fresh or original and instead relies on tropes from other highly regarded films in the genre. If the script had allowed more room for audience engagement, the film could have been much more effective.
2.5/5
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Ever since my mom took me to go see The Blair Witch Project in theaters when I was 7 years old I’ve been obsessed with not just movies but the horror genre. When I’m not watching movies you can find me thrifting, attending a local horror convention, or collecting physical media. I attended the University of Central Florida with a degree in Cinema Studies and use my degree to rant about movies online.
MY FAVORITE MOVIES: The Cabin in the Woods, Cabaret, Seven Samurai, The Blair Witch Project, Inglourious Basterds