ASH: A Small Step for Man, a Giant Leap for Flying Lotus
One does not simply go into a Flying Lotus film and expect to fully understand what’s going on during the first watch. Eccentric DJ, producer, and filmmaker Steven Ellison is truly a unique artist. In fact, it would be wholly fair to call him a weirdo. In fact, he stands out among those of us fellow weirdos as one of the weirdest – at least in regards to his art. Before diving into film, FlyLo produced some of the most unique music in the world of hip hop, as both a producer and as Captain Murphy, his rapper alter-ego named after the captain on Adult Swim’s Sealab 2021. After working on music videos, scoring several projects, and dabbling in short film, Ellison released his first feature in 2017, the end-of-the-world grossout surrealist horror comedy Kuso.
The 2017 genre bending anthology features George Clinton, an amazing soundtrack, an impactful opening sequence complete with musical performance by avant-grade rapper Busdriver, the voice of Hannibal Buress, pornstar Lex Steele, a whole lot of puss and blood, comedian Tim Heidecker, a host of friends from Adult Swim, and extreme indie horror icon Jimmy ScreamerClauz. While the storytelling can be jumbled, nothing about the film is even in the least bit forgettable. As long as you have a sense of humor, Mr. Quiggles alone is worth the watch. Though, it cannot be overstated how much of this film is filled with bodily fluids and psychedelic viscera.
In his new film, Ash, Lotus leans away from the comedic elements, with darker imagery and more deliberate pacing. The visuals remain incredible and the soundtrack is as well written as anything in the sci-fi and horror genres you’ll hear. Admittedly, this isn’t a film for people who absolutely need a discernible, linear tale – however, this also isn’t an abstract surrealist film without a real story arc. With a vibe not unlike the twisted mind control at the center of oft-praised Universal Soldier sequel Day of Reckoning, Ash treats us to a tale of aliens, otherwordly infections, flashbacks, lobotomies, and uncertain reality. Blood, guts, acidtrip visuals, commentary on humanity and climate, nods to sci-fi classics, jump scares, psychological terror – Ash genuinely has everything a sci-fi horror geek weirdo like myself could ever want. Couple this with it being a film that rewards every rewatch with new bits of information and understanding – and it’s nearly impossible for fans of this type of genre film not to appreciate.
Eiza Gonzalez (Baby Driver, Hobbs & Shaw) truly knocks it out of the park as Riya, the film’s protagonist. Her ability to perform convincingly in strong action sequences is only surpassed by the pitch perfect emotional processing that we experience alongside her as the viewer. The small cast also prominently features a great performance from Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) and is rounded out by great physical work from Iko Uwais (The Raid) and Beulah Koale (Hawaii Five-O) and a even small role from Lotus himself.
The long and short of it is that Ash represents a big step for Lotus as a filmmaker. His singular style remains, but this film shows that he can build in a more dramatic and impactful way. It shows an ability to weave a cohesive and coherent story while remaining committed to elements of nonlinear worldbuilding and storytelling. Clearly inspired by neo-classic sci-fi like Alien and The Thing as well as mind melting work like Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning and even the work of Jodorowsky, Ash remains firmly in the weirdo world of FlyLo while showing off his growth as an artist.
Ash releases in theaters tomorrow, March 21st, 2025.