Flying Lotus has done it again—Ash (2025) is a film that doesn’t just ask you to watch it. It wants you to feel it in your bones.
Part sci-fi mystery, part body horror, Ash is a visual and sonic overload wrapped in a thin layer of plot. It won’t be for everyone, but if you love your horror neon-soaked, synth-drenched, and dripping with dread, Ash might just be your next obsession.
The Premise: Memory Loss, Murder, and Mayhem
The setup is simple but eerie:
Riya (Eiza González) wakes up on a remote research outpost on the planet Ash. She has no memory of what happened—and the rest of the crew is dead. Enter Brion (Aaron Paul), a stranger claiming to have received her distress signal.
As reality begins to fracture, Riya is forced to question everything: her memories, her identity, and Brion’s true motives.
The Look: Eye-Melting Beauty Meets Claustrophobic Dread
Visually, Ash is stunning. Flying Lotus (real name Steven Ellison) drenches every frame in color—deep purples, violent reds, sterile blues. Whether inside dim hallways or staring into alien landscapes, the cinematography delivers a hypnotic sense of unease.
You feel boxed in, paranoid, unstable. And that’s exactly the point.
The Sound: Synths, Static, and Screams
The score—composed by Flying Lotus himself—is relentless. Pulsing synths, unnerving drones, glitchy distortion. It’s not just background; it is the atmosphere. Every stinger and swell is designed to keep your nerves exposed.
Some may say it leans too hard on musical cues for scares. They’re not wrong. But if you’re into moody, sci-fi horror soundscapes à la Annihilation or Under the Skin, you’re in for a treat.
The Performances: A Tale of Two Leads
- Eiza González carries the emotional weight. She plays Riya with haunted intensity, making us root for her even when she (and we) don’t know who she really is.
- Aaron Paul brings a wild, jittery energy to Brion. It’s a solid turn, but at times his performance veers into the theatrical—almost too much for the quiet terror the film builds.
Both actors are game, but character development isn’t the film’s strength. They feel more like vessels for theme and atmosphere than fully realized people.
The Horror: Body, Mind, and Otherworldly
This is where Ash shines. Lotus leans into body horror, psychological fragmentation, and alien surrealism. The practical effects are gruesome and tactile—mutated limbs, bloody hallucinations, slow-building dread.
If you’re squeamish? Consider yourself warned.
If you love The Thing or Event Horizon? You’re home.
The Weak Points: Style > Story
Let’s be clear: Ash isn’t here to tell a tight, twisty narrative. The story is thin, and the pacing drags in the second act. The flashbacks? Disjointed. Some CGI shots (especially exterior flames) are distractingly bad.
And while the film borrows heavily from genre icons (Alien, Dead Space, Possessor), it never quite forges a unique identity plot-wise.
This is a vibe movie, not a tight thriller. If you’re not onboard with that, it may lose you.
💬 Final Verdict
3 out of 5 stars
A feast for the senses, but don’t come hungry for answers.
“Ash is like being trapped in a dream you’re not sure you want to wake up from. You’re not sure what’s real, and by the end—you’re not sure it matters.”
If you love immersive horror and experimental sci-fi, Ash is worth the ride. Just don’t expect a satisfying resolution or deep character arcs.
Want more horror reviews or sci-fi breakdowns? Drop a comment or subscribe for weekly takes.