‘Ash’ SXSW Review – Flying Lotus Takes on Survival Horror in Gnarly Sci-Fi Movie
Flying Lotus leaves behind the abstract surrealism of feature debut Kuso in favor of a more conventional narrative in sophomore effort Ash, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t bear his stamp of gnarly horror. What Ash lacks in story originality, it makes up for in vibrant imagery, visual worldbuilding, and visceral horror in this gnarly […]
Flying Lotus leaves behind the abstract surrealism of feature debut Kuso in favor of a more conventional narrative in sophomore effort Ash, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t bear his stamp of gnarly horror. What Ash lacks in story originality, it makes up for in vibrant imagery, visual worldbuilding, and visceral horror in this gnarly sci-fi freakout movie that could double as a visual survival horror concept album thanks to Flying Lotus’ immersive earworm score.
The setup feels familiar: sole survivor Riya Ortiz (Eiza González) awakens on a space station located on some foreign, distant planet battered, bruised, and with no memories. Riya knows something horrible happened; she’s surrounded by the gruesomely dispatched bodies of her crewmates. She’s determined to regain her memories and find out what happened, much to the chagrin of new arrival Brion (Aaron Paul), who only wants to solve the grim murder mystery after they’ve left the planet as the ship’s hull was so damaged by the battle that oxygen is rapidly depleting. But Riya’s amnesia breeds mistrust and paranoia as her memories ever-so-slowly return, revealing the terrifying chain of events that were set in motion and the dangerous threat that’s still lying in wait.
