Ash

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://movieswetextedabout.com/ash-movie-review-eiza-gonzalez-commands-the-screen-in-a-sci-fi-thriller-of-highs-and-lows/

"Ash doesn't bring anything new to the genres it blends nor does it explore its themes in particularly thought-provoking ways, but it still delivers an intriguing experience, driven by an immersive atmosphere and a truly captivating lead performance.

Eiza González's magnetic presence alone makes the movie worth watching, and there are technical aspects worthy of praise that contribute to an engaging experience. A film of extremes, where its best moments shine as much as its flaws, but one that ultimately earns a recommendation."

Rating: B-

Exploring the vast, uncharted reaches of outer space may be challenging enough when we have our wits completely about us, but imagine how much more difficult it would be if we tried to do so without any recollection of where we were or how we got there. So it is for Riya (Eiza González), an astronaut who wakes up on a mysterious, ash-covered planet to find herself being the only survivor of her crew. As she moves about her ship, she finds everyone else has been killed, and she has no memory of how they got that way. In fact, she doesnt appear to readily recognize anyone, either, and her reaction is one more of curiosity and confusion than of shock and horror. She thus wanders aimlessly about the corpse-strewn spacecraft trying to get her be...

The opening is a cerebral assault on the senses, yet not so horrorific as to cause you to flinch. We're treated to what appears to have been a catastrophic event, with some extreme responses. The visuals are stunning, to say the least. It appears we have a new player on the board, making it 2 for now. Time to see where they each stand in what happened during the catastrophe and their reactions to said catastrophic event. An ugly tension dances through the air, memories of the past are coming through, and yet memories of the incident are still too choppy and incoherent. They keep you off center with what is either memory flashbacks or full-on hallucinations.

Beautifully executed sci-fi adventure folks.