Overlook Film Festival guest Flying Lotus (Kuso, V/H/S/99) not only presented screenings of fan favorite films, but he also provided a special screening of his latest film, Ash. The feature film debut of screenwriter Jonni Remmler, Ash tells the story of Riya, a space crew member at a station on a distant planet as she awakens battered and bruised to discover the rest of the crew brutally murdered. With no memory of what happened, Riya must piece together the forgotten horrors and find a way home.

From the moment Ash begins, the film comes across as a blend of Event Horizon and Momento, with just a dash of Blood Machines. The audience is thrown into the story after all the action has happened. Riya wakes up in her room with a head wound, which likely is the cause of her memory loss. Outside her room, scattered throughout the station, are the bodies of the rest of the crew. Whatever happened was clearly violent, but Riya can only recall flashes and images. When another crew member mysterious appears, the two of them try to work out what happened. Flying Lotus incorporates more and more flashbacks as Riya regains some of her memories. It’s a clever way to reveal the necessary context at important moments, putting the audience in Riya’s shoes and allowing them to discover the truth as she does. It also allows for Riya to be an unreliable narrator, albeit an unintentional one. With only small pieces of the puzzle coming to light at a time, one can only guess at what really took place here until the full picture is revealed.

While there are elements of this film that feel familiar for the space setting, there is plenty to keep things interesting. Ash touches on some important themes, such as the deterioration of Earth’s atmosphere. This leads to the need for missions to find another inhabitable planet. Despite this being the reason for the crew even exploring this planet, there’s a bit of a missed opportunity to further examine that destructive side of humanity, especially when confronted with the idea of alien life. Expanding these themes could have strengthened the overall plot, but that doesn’t mean Ash isn’t quite a cinematic achievement. It’s a thrilling sci-fi horror story that delivers plenty of twists and turns, hooking the audience from start to finish.

The cast of Ash is quite small, but each individual helps bring to life fully realized characters, even those with a smaller amount of screen time. Eiza González (Baby Driver, Godzilla vs. Kong) is the definitive star playing Riya. González is great at portraying this complex, capable character. She is caring, intelligent, and both physically and mentally capable to take on whatever is thrown her way. Audiences will easily connect with Riya as she tries to unlock her memories and the secrets of the planet. Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad, Westworld) plays the mysterious crew member, Brion. Paul gives an ominous edge to his portrayal of this character, making it unclear if he can be trusted or not, adding to the suspense. The film also includes fantastic performances from Iko Uwais (The Raid: Redemption), Beulah Koale (Next Goal Wins), Kate Elliot (Deathgasm), and even Flying Lotus himself.

The plot of Ash places most of the complexity and uniqueness in the visual and auditory elements. Most of this is thanks to the non-linear storytelling. While Riya’s present is told in a uniform way, the editing layers in her memories of the past. This allows the audience to get to know the characters after their death while also revealing vital clues to solve the mystery. What really makes the film such a great watch is the visual effects. Through a combination of CGI and practical effects, Flying Lotus delivers some memorable sci-fi horror that’s goopy, bloody, and transports the audience to another world. The lighting adds to the beauty of this imagery, primarily incorporating red and blue lighting with occasional hints of green. Tying it all together is the sound. Many of the scenes are brought to life with great sound design, which enhances with action-packed and more grotesque scenes, along with a head-popping sci-fi score composed by Flying Lotus.

Ash is a neon-soaked cosmic nightmare that lets the vibrant sights and sounds do the talking. This might be Flying Lotus’s best work to date, bringing to life the compelling script by Remmler. While it doesn’t have quite the depth to make it truly great, there is no denying it’s a thrilling ride with some of the most memorable visuals so far in 2025. González shows the audience she has the presence to be a sci-fi heroine the likes of Ellen Ripley, sure to make her a fan-favorite. Ash is currently available in select theaters, so be sure to see it on the biggest screen possible.

OVERALL RATING: 7.5/10