'Ash' Review: Flying Lotus' Sci-Fi Thriller Blends Mood and Mystery in Space
In Ash, Flying Lotus’ atmospheric sci-fi thriller, a woman awakens to the low hum of a malfunctioning system. The room is drenched in eerie neon blue, accented by the frantic red of an emergency light. Despite her blurry vision, the woman, identified later as Riya (Eiza Gonzalez), quickly absorbs the scene: overturned tables, shattered test tubes, and bloodied corpses—her crew members, who have met grim fates. Flickering memories reveal a mutiny, but the mystery deepens—who betrayed whom, and why is Riya the sole survivor?
Eiza González in 'Ash.'
Courtesy of RLJE Films & Shudder
The film unfolds with an emphasis on atmosphere, enveloping the audience in a sensory experience that complements its muted narrative. Flying Lotus, known for his directorial debut Kuso and his unique music compositions (he also scored Ash), experiments with perspective, lighting, and sound to construct a tense psychological journey. The film’s dreamlike visuals and trippy aesthetics add layers of intrigue to a story that is more about mood than plot.
While the narrative is somewhat underdeveloped—characters lack depth, motivations are unclear, and the thrills are sparse—Ash excels in creating an immersive environment. It draws comparisons to recent works like Neptune Frost, an experimental Afro-futurist musical, sharing a bold aesthetic vision.
As Riya navigates the derelict spaceship, trying to piece together the fragmented events, Flying Lotus builds a compelling world. Working with production designer Ross McGarva, he combines mid-century modern design with dystopian elements, creating a visually striking and surprisingly warm interior for the spacecraft. Unlike the cold, metallic environments typical of sci-fi, the ship’s setting feels personal and inviting.
This sense of intimacy is further emphasized in a flashback scene, where Riya and her crew share a toast at the dinner table before venturing to an uncharted planet. Outside, the landscape is surreal, with ash floating down and skies that shimmer in Northern Lights hues. Riya steps outside briefly but quickly realizes the planet’s oxygen levels are unsuitable for humans, deepening her isolation.
Shortly after waking, Riya encounters Brion (Aaron Paul), a fellow astronaut presumed dead. He helps tend to her injuries, using a portable robotic surgical kit that offers a brief moment of levity with its cheerful automated voice. As they slowly begin to uncover the truth, they speculate about Clarke (Kate Elliot), another crewmember who may have survived. Her body is missing, and the destruction aboard the ship raises suspicions—could she be the cause?
Riya and Brion embark on a dual quest: to find Clarke and complete their mission, the significance of which remains unclear. As they work together, tension mounts, but the story starts to unravel. The atmosphere grows heavy, as Flying Lotus uses intimate close-ups and POV shots, skillfully creating a claustrophobic ambiance. Riya’s physical hesitation and confusion, portrayed by Gonzalez, underscore the character’s emotional disarray.
Ash’s artistic ambitions sometimes clash with its plotting. As Riya and Brion’s trust in each other erodes, the narrative’s pacing falters. Early moments of tension between the two are not fully realized, leaving the film’s stakes feeling inconsistent. The film’s visual flair stands out, but its story struggles to maintain the momentum established by its mood.
In the end, Ash offers a strikingly atmospheric sci-fi experience, but its narrative often feels as fragmented as Riya’s memory, leaving viewers with a sense of ambiguity. Despite its visual and auditory inventiveness, the film’s deeper emotional resonance remains elusive.
