Despite only having two features and two short films under his belt, musician-turned-director Flying Lotus has already found a specific niche as a filmmaker. His 2017 debut Kuso combined the darkest of dark comedy, raunchiness, and loads of gross-out body horror. While that film was a collection of vignettes, his second feature, the sci-fi horror Ash, marks a change in pace, telling a contained story set high up in the stars. If you’ve seen movies like Alien and The Thing, then you will already have a slight idea of what Ash is.
Regardless of any similarities, the latest from Flying Lotus feels like it was made as a tribute to video games like Dead Space, or maybe even an audition tape to direct a feature film of the aforementioned game. The result is a stylish and entertaining 90 minutes that often gets trapped in its own ambition.
What Is ‘Ash’ About?

Amid an interstellar voyage, astronaut Riya (Eiza González) wakes up to discover all of her crewmates on the space station have been brutally murdered. There’s just one thing: Riya has no memory of what transpired and the fact that she’s alone on an alien planet means there’s seemingly no way for her to be rescued. As Riya tries to put the pieces together of what caused the slaughter, a supposed rescuer finally arrives, a man named Brion (Aaron Paul), who claims to be the only other survivor.
While Riya begins to remember her other crewmates, she can’t seem to recollect who the heck this Brion guy is. Yet, in order to survive, she’s left with no choice but to trust this stranger. With the ship’s oxygen depleting by the minute, Riya and Brion don’t have much time left to get off this strange and dangerous planet alive. As the two form their escape plan, Riya’s memories slowly come back to her, discovering the terrible truth about what caused the carnage.
Ash initially begins as more of a slow burn, letting the tension build as Riya, and the audience, try to figure out what the heck is even going on. We know that things clearly aren’t what they seem to be, as the flashes of this so-called incident abruptly pop onto the screen. This all culminates in the big twist that is clearly telegraphed in the first 15 minutes of the movie.
‘Ash’ Is All Style and Not Much Substance

There’s not as much to the script of Ash as the movie clearly thinks it has. Written by Jonni Remmler, the entire story is built around a big reveal, but because it’s so obvious from the jump, it’s hard to get too engaged. It’s not a terrible screenplay, but it’s full of so many of the conventions that we’ve come to expect from better sci-fi horror flicks. The influences are obvious, and while the atmosphere is creepy, it also feels like a copy-and-paste of Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic, just clearly not as fresh or original.
Flying Lotus’ direction elevates the movie beyond its predictability. Despite the low budget, Ash is filled with trippy visuals and moments of gnarly violence. It works far better as a throwback movie reminiscent of Event Horizon or Lifeforce than it does as the mystery box movie that it was likely intended to be. Make no mistake, Flying Lotus is a filmmaker with a tremendous amount of skill, otherwise how else would he be able to make something so familiar have such a unique voice? Despite not being prevalent until the final act, the moments of body horror and gore are thrilling to watch unfold. You might not care too much about the characters themselves, but Ash definitely isn’t boring. The film cements Flying Lotus as a filmmaker to watch out for, as he has a distinct style that can seemingly make anything more memorable, even if the material doesn’t have much to say.
Amidst all the carnage, neon lighting, and Flying Lotus’ moody and electric score, Ash lacks any sort of depth. While this may have been intent, as Riya struggles with her scattered memory, it also fails to illicit any strong emotions you might’ve had when watching Ellen Ripley fend off the Xenomorph or Isaac Clarke attempting to find his girlfriend aboard the devastated Kellion. Ash could have worked far better if it simply just showed its hand right away and went all out with the satisfyingly bloodthirsty carnage that Flying Lotus has such a knack for. As a paranoid thriller, the movie relies far too much on its funky atmosphere rather than diving deeper into Riya and Brion’s backgrounds. It’s not like these characters needed some elongated backstory, but there is little characterization to either of them.
‘Ash’ Finally Gives Eiza González To Take Center Stage

Image via RLJE Films/Shudder

While Eiza González got her big break in 2014 as Santanico Pandemonium in From Dusk till Dawn: The Series, it wasn’t until 2017 that she was on her way to becoming a household name with her scene-stealing role as Darling in Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver. Since then, González has kept busy, but she has mainly been relegated to supporting roles in movies such as Ambulance and Godzilla vs. Kong. She’s already proven her strength as an actress, and it has taken way too long for her to get her first true leading role in a movie. Thankfully, Ash finally gives it to her. While yes, Riya isn’t the most developed or complex character, González makes her far more interesting. She’s on-screen for the entirety of the film, and while a lot of the first two acts are spent with her character being disoriented, you can’t help but be drawn to her. González is what makes the movie satisfying at the least. Despite being given so little, she turns Riya into a badass sleuthing hero.
González, additionally, has a terrific back-and-forth with Aaron Paul. Brion is a character that is intentionally left vague. We don’t fully know his true goals and morals, we just know that he wants to escape just as much as Riya. Paul, who is famously known for playing the iconic and much-memed-upon Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad, gets to play a character that feels drastically different from anything he’s played before, and, much like his co-star, elevates his role far beyond what’s on the page. The talented supporting cast of Ash, which includes the always reliable Iko Uwais and Beulah Koale, are left with nothing to do other than simply die on screen. It feels like a waste of both of their talents.
Ash feels too familiar, which is disappointing coming from such an idiosyncratic filmmaker like Flying Lotus. This material feels like it’s too derivative to be effective, but the video game-like atmosphere, bonkers direction, and reliable cast make it far more watchable.
Ash premiered at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival and opens in theaters on March 21.

Ash

Ash’s stale script is elevated by its reliable lead stars and Flying Lotus’ confident direction.

Release Date

March 21, 2025

Director

Flying Lotus

Writers

Jonni Remmler

Producers

Neill Blomkamp, Matthew Metcalfe, Nate Bolotin, Aram Tertzakian, Nick Spicer, Maile Daugherty, Adam Riback

Pros & Cons

Eiza Gonzalez and Aaron Paul give expectedly great performances despite their flat characters.
Flying Lotus excels in directing the film’s moments of violence and carnage.

The script feels far too derivative of better sci-fi horror movies.
Iko Uwais and Beulah Koale are wasted in roles that give them nothing to do.