Playing more like a greatest hits package of sci-fit/action/horror movies of years past, and less like the trippy, brain-bending story it thinks it is, Ash comes courtesy of director/composer/actor Flying Lotus, who brings us the tale of Riya (Eiza Gonzalez, Baby Driver, Hobbs & Shaw), who wakes up on a mysterious planet (called Ash) to find her crew gutted by a force that clearly isn’t human.
Due to a head injury, Riya remembers almost nothing about the incident or how she survived, but when fellow space traveller Brion (Aaron Paul) arrives outside the small base to rescue Riya, she begins to question if Brion is part of the solution or the cause of her problems, setting off a series of terrifying events that test her mind and body in an effort to survive.
Written by Jonni Remmler, Ash features a great number of conveniently timed flashbacks as the swelling in Riya’s brain begins to shrink and her memories begin flooding back. It turns out an alien life-form begins to take over the base’s electronics, slithering their way into the inner workings. But it’s when the entity begins entering human bodies that things take a nasty turn. Other crew members include the filmmaker as Davis, Kate Elliott as Clarke, Beulah Koale as Kevin, and the great Indonesian actor Iko Uwais (The Raid movies, Snake Eyes) as Adhi. They seem like a tight-knit, friendly team until the alien takeover begins—or is it the earthlings who are the real threat to this alien race defending its own planet that has an atmosphere that is somewhat close to earth’s.
Although Flying Lotus (V/H/S/99) is borrowing heavily from everything from Alien and The Thing to Event Horizon and The Hidden, at least he’s borrowing from the best. Even in its darkest, bloodiest moments, Ash has a playful spirit and fully acknowledges its influences to the point where it feels more like a fully interactive tribute film. Plus, Gonzalez is perfect blend of crazed hero and scared survivor, so much so that we’re never quite sure of her role in this bloody incident—but I certainly had my suspicions early on.
In addition to being a mostly fun romp, the film is predictable, which undercuts the drama and mystery to a certain degree. But it hardly matters in a movie that plays this fast and loose with its reference points and cinematic touchstones. The gore is well bloody, and everyone in the cast gets their moment to get crazy and lean into their murderous personas. As much as I’d like to say the film fails as an original effort, it was too much fun to dismiss on those grounds. I’d count this as a certifiable hoot.
The film is now playing in theaters.
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