ASH
Starring: Eiza Gonzalez, Aaron Paul, Iko Uwais, Kate Elliott, Flying Lotus, and Beulah Koale
Director: Flying Lotus
QUENTIN
Ash pays enough B-movie homage to personal favorites Alien, The Thing, and Event Horizon (or rips them off, depending on your take) that I can’t be fully mad at it. That said, it’s more of a near-gaming experience than a movie. Watching in the darkest room possible creates something akin to walking through an immersive virtual reality demonstration, for better and for worse. Director Flying Lotus maintains an incredible eye behind the camera, especially with his use of color, while also creating trippy-ass visuals. Of course, his score is beyond reproach, too. Again, though, this is more of a great vibe check than a great movie.
AMARÚ
I kept waiting for Ash to drop me into a first-person point-of-view with a futuristic weapon so I could play the game this film is clearly inspired by, and honestly, there were times I wished I got that gun. There’s nothing inherently wrong with certain sequences feeling like video game cutscenes, especially with how great those are nowadays, but the pace at which this horror-filled, sci-fi thriller fit its puzzle pieces together necessitated more action to move things along. Flying Lotus’ directorial choices and score sparked just enough interest to keep me watching Eiza Gonzalez's and Aaron Paul’s good enough performances, but “just enough” can get rough sometimes.
PAIGE
Even though Ash feels similar to a lot of other notable sci-fi horror films, the movie’s sound design and score are outstanding, not to mention the stunning cosmic visuals. Having said that, the atmosphere and tone of the film seem far more important to director Flying Lotus than the movie’s plot. Ash falls into shambles whenever it attempts to play on its psychological tricks due to the weak and predictable script. It’s at its best when it's a chaotic B-movie body horror, but unfortunately, the movie takes too long to appreciate its strengths and deliver us the answers we long for throughout.
