The best science fiction movies always thrive on using isolation as a plot device. It started with Ridley Scott's masterpiece Alien in 1979 and continues to be a massive draw for moviegoers. In the new movie, Ash, Riya (Eiza Gonzalez) finds herself on a mysterious planet unlike anything she has seen before. The rest of the crew has been viciously slaughtered, so she is on her own. Sounds a lot like Ellen Ripley.
With a backdrop of raining ash, flaming flares, and hell-like surroundings, she has to figure out who and where she is before succumbing to the heat and whatever else lurks. Soon, she is joined by a stranger named Brion (Aaron Paul), who responds to what he claims is a distress call from her craft. Together, they venture into a dark world with strange and threatening phenomena waiting for them to make the wrong move. No one can be trusted, especially not a Pinkman-esque character in a fast-paced thriller that seemingly never comes up for air.
Scheduled for release on March 25, Ash is directed by Flying Lotus, the well-known rapper, producer, who is diversifying into the world of cinema once again, so there will be a pounding soundtrack that enhances the action on the screen. And by the looks of it, the action will need a score that can keep up with the thrills and spills of the two main characters. Those who have seen some of Flying Lotus's previous projects, including V/H/S/99 and Kuso, know what the multi-talented artist brings to his film projects, visually and with a pulse-pounding beat.
The special effects and CGI pop off the screen in this hellscape that has eerily similar vibes to past thrillers like the cult hit Event Horizon. But Ash and Flying Lotus clearly have a few aces up their sleeves that will burn their way into the cerebral cortex of the audience in the Fall of this year. If the movie matches the trailer, then this flick has a chance to be a surprise blockbuster, as there has not been a huge amount of fanfare just weeks before hitting theaters.
You may remember Gonzalez from Three Body Problem, Baby Driver and I Care a Lot so her bona fides in both science fiction and heavy drama are established. Of course, Aaron Paul will forever be tied to his over-the-top character Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad but he too dipped into the sci-fi genre in the final few seasons of Westworld on HBO. The chemistry between the two leads will be paramount as they are the only two characters in the trailer shouldering most of the load in Ash.