Grammy Award-winning creative Flying Lotus is back with another stylized sci-fi conception in the Eiza González-led thriller, Ash. No stranger to the feature film world (see: 2018’s Perfect and 2022’s V/H/S/99), Flying Lotus takes on a slightly different approach to the genre by incorporating heavy doses of survival horror. Making its World Premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Audience Award, Ash lands in theaters this Friday, March 21st.

Amnesia Amidst Aliens Leads to Dire Consequences

Starring Eiza González and Aaron Paul, Ash tells the story of forgotten memory, fragile trust, and the mysterious circumstances aboard a space shuttle stranded on a foreign planet. Riya (González) awakens one morning to find her crew slaughtered, but how they got that way remains a mystery. She has no recollection of that night, and every detail of events prior is fuzzy and unreachable. Stranded and alone, Riya is forced to confront her dire circumstances and impending death sentence. However, it’s not long before Brion (Paul) arrives to rescue her. What should be a joyous relief is instead met with hesitation, and an ordeal of psychological and physical terror ensues. Can Riya trust Brion–a stranger–enough to survive?

Watch the Ash trailer here.

An Homage to the Video Game Aesthetic

Visually and tonally, the film feels like a hyper-pop montage taken straight out of a video game. From the dialogue delivery to the framing and fight scenes, Ash feels bigger than its indie film budget. The music, composed by Flying Lotus, who also stars in the film in addition to directing, is a blast of high-octane beats and energy. The visual effects stand out as well, especially in the first-person “video game-inspired” combat scenes (complete with flame throwers).

The chemistry between Eiza González and Aaron Paul is accurately intense. They play well off each other’s strengths, with Eiza leaning into the seriousness of the dramatics and Aaron’s demeanor providing necessary tension relief.

Takeaway

Full of twists and turns ripe for a cinematic psychological thriller, Ash is another genre-bending statement by Flying Lotus. More artful than the traditional narrative feature, Ash is a visual and sonic feast for the eyes and ears.