In Ash, the intriguing sci-fi thriller from Flying Lotus, a woman named Riya (Eiza Gonzalez) awakens amidst the eerie stillness of a malfunctioning craft. The room is flooded with a disquieting neon-blue light interspersed with pulsating red flickers of an emergency alert, revealing the devastation around her. Remnants of her crew lay lifeless around her, bringing back flashes of a rebellion onboard.

Ash unravels the mystery behind this chaos with great focus given to the eerie environment. Its hypnotic and otherworldly aesthetic mitigates the slow burn of this duo-chamber drama. Flying Lotus, who debuted as a director with Kuso eight years ago, skillfully manipulates perspective, lighting, and music to unfold a tense tale of lost memory and treachery.

Despite its deficiencies in the narrative aspect, Ash is a commendable venture into the realm of moody ambience, reminiscent of Neptune Frost. Riya’s exploration of the ship and the accompanying world-building is commendable. The ship’s interior is an unexpected blend of mid-century modern and dystopian elements, offering an unexpected warmth very unlike the stark aesthetic typical of the genre.

The story’s intimate touch is amplified by a flashback where Riya and her team toast to their mission, followed by her stepping onto an unknown planet where ash rains down under a vibrant sky. As she ventures outside, she quickly learns that the planet's oxygen levels are lethal for her.

Shortly after returning to the ship, she meets Brion (Aaron Paul), a team member believed to be dead. He helps Riya recover and they cautiously discuss her foggy memories. Their dialogue reveals that another crew member may still be alive, initiating a dual purpose mission: find the potentially surviving crew member and complete their initial task.

However, as Riya and Brion continue their quest, their interactions become suspicious and their storyline confusing. Flying Lotus amplifies the unnerving atmosphere with unsettling close-ups, showing Riya growing agoraphobic in the place she once deemed safe.

The movie's overall ambition begins to clatter against monotonous plotting when Riya and Brion's interactions lack crucial edge. Despite rich imagery, the narrative lacks cohesion, making the film as fragmented as Riya's equivoque memory.