Eiza González
“Ash,” directed by Flying Lotus, had its world premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival. The film is a bold and unrelenting sci-fi horror experience that delves into memory and paranoia. Eiza González leads the cast with an enthralling performance, supported by Aaron Paul, Iko Uwais, and Kate Elliott.
The story follows Riya Ortiz (played by González), who awakens on a desolate planet called Ash, with her memory fractured and her crew slaughtered. As she investigates the massacre, she encounters Brion (played by Paul), a supposed rescuer responding to an S.O.S. warning. The film thrives on uncertainty, keeping both its protagonist and audience disoriented as the mystery unfolds.
Flying Lotus masterfully crafts the film with a symphony of light and sound, using color, sound design, and editing to enhance the storytelling. The planet Ash is depicted as a barren, storm-ridden wasteland with psychedelic swirls and toxic volcanic ash perpetually raining down.
