About: Ash is a 2025 American science fiction horror-thriller directed by Flying Lotus (Steven Ellison). The narrative centers on astronaut Riya (Eiza González), who awakens on a distant planet to find her crew brutally murdered and her memory impaired. As she grapples with nightmarish visions and attempts to unravel the mystery, a man named Brion (Aaron Paul) arrives in response to her distress signal. Together, they must navigate trust and survival while confronting the planet’s hostile environment.
Movie Title: Ash
Year of Release: 2025
Date of Release: March 21, 2025
Director: Flying Lotus (Steven Ellison)
Writer: Jonni Remmler
Producers:
- Matthew Metcalfe
- Nate Bolotin
Cast:
- Eiza González as Riya
- Aaron Paul as Brion
- Iko Uwais as Adhi
- Beulah Koale as Kevin
- Kate Elliott as Clarke
- Flying Lotus as Davis
Running Time: 95 minutes
Age Rating: R (for language and violent/grisly scenes)
Country: United States
Language: English
Genre: Science Fiction, Horror, Thriller
Production Companies:
- XYZ Films
Distributors:
- RLJE Films (U.S.)
- Shudder (U.S. streaming)
- Amazon Prime Video (International)
Music: Flying Lotus
Cinematography: Richard Bluck
Editing: Bryan Shaw
Production Details: Principal photography commenced in May 2023 in New Zealand. The film marks Flying Lotus’s return to directing after his 2017 debut, Kuso. He also composed the film’s score, drawing inspiration from composers like John Carpenter and Vangelis.
Availability: Ash premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 11, 2025, and was released in U.S. theaters on March 21, 2025. Following its theatrical run, the film is available for streaming on Shudder in the U.S. and on Amazon Prime Video internationally.
Have you seen this movie? What did you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
What Other Reviewers Are Saying:
"Ash may not reinvent the sci-fi horror genre, but Flying Lotus knows when to subvert tropes and when to lean into them. When it's all executed with as controlled a precision as we see here, it's nothing less than thrilling. It's a B-movie operating at the highest levels of craftsmanship, intrigue, and performance. Sometimes it's just fun to watch someone know and deliver exactly what they want to give you, and do so with flying colors—bisexual lighting and all." — Zachary Lee, RogerEbert.com
"People tend to overuse the term 'mind-blowing' when hyping sci-fi movies, but in the case of Flying Lotus’ visually audacious 'Ash,' the word feels apt. Weak on plot but pretty as a sunset (on the whole human race?), 'Ash' opens with a shot of the cosmic turmoil swarming inside the brain of an astronaut far, far away from Earth, then pulls back abruptly, zooming out through her pupil to reveal the look of pure panic on the face of sole survivor Riya Ortiz (Eiza González). Cue a shock montage of all her crewmates, each with their head crushed in or blown open." — Peter Debruge, Variety
"Despite its issues and a somewhat slow initial progression, Ash is greatly elevated by González’s magnetic performance, who – pardon my own cliché – carries the entire flick on her shoulders. Whether in close-ups capturing Riya’s sheer terror, action scenes that the actress mostly performs herself, or moments where the protagonist is emotionally shattered, González proves she can lead a film with a fully committed, compelling display." — Manuel São Bento, Movies We Texted About
"Ash is a visually resplendent film that is intoxicating to look at, but despite great performances, Ash leaves its characters by the wayside." — Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant
"Like Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor, Ash makes extensive use of cut-ins that violently tear through the frame, jarring the audience with nightmarish imagery that’s disarming under normal circumstances and probably soul-searingly terrifying if one’s third eye happens to be open at the time. Think rage monsters — coated in blood that’s as thick as crude oil — who scream under red lights as the score spikes in the background. It’s very much a horror movie, and a freaky one at times." — Katie Rife, IndieWire
"Still. It may feel like damning with faint praise to call Ash a sturdy film, but even with the bar for horror movies set in space set so low – so low, embarrassingly low – there are still so many movies that fail to clear it. Here Flying Lotus has combined his love of the genre with an ambitious cosmic streak, and the result is a movie that holds its own on the big screen against films twice its size." — Matthew Monagle, Certified Forgotten
"The core of Ash is a pretty bare bones story with more trippy visuals than surprising revelations. Aaron Paul huffs and puffs across the whole movie (and ultra serious default mode for him tbh) but Eiza Gonzalez balances the scales as a badass problem solver (not entirely unlike Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley). Fans of psychedelic sci-fi and mind-altering gore will especially dig Ash's otherworldly horrors." — Jonathan Dehaan, Nightmare on Film Street
Verayea’s Take:
"This is such an underrated film that did so much with so little, and while I understand that it might not be for everyone, it still deserves solid recognition. I’m not even a horror fan myself, and I still found myself drawn into the story and visuals (I strongly advise not to ingest any psychedelics or become intoxicated before or during the film, lest you’re in for an interesting experience.) — Winifred Eze, Verayea
⭐ Verayea Rating:
4 / 5
