Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul and3 Body Problem’s Eiza González have teamed up for a sci-fihorrormovie that’s off to a strong start on Rotten Tomatoes after its SXSW premiere. After becoming a household name with his roles of Scott in HBO’sBig Loveand Jesse Pinkman in AMC’s acclaimed crime drama, Paul has gone on to explore a wide array of genres on both the big and small screens, including the video game adaptationNeed for Speed,Ridley Scott’s biblical epicExodus: Gods and Kings, and the sci-fi thriller comedyDual, in which he co-starred with Karen Gillan.
González, meanwhile, got her start in her home of South America, starring in everything from the Argentinian children’s telenovela,Floricienta, to Nickeloden Latin America’sSueña conmigo. She would later break out internationally with her role as Santanico Pandemonium in Robert Rodriguez’s TV adaptation ofFrom Dusk till Dawn, following it up with everything from Edgar Wright’sBaby Driverto Rodriguez’sAlita: Battle Angel, the first Monsterverse crossoverGodzilla vs. Kongand Michael Bay’sAmbulance. Most recently, she was seen as one of the leads inNetflix’s3 Body Problem, starring as Auggie, andis returning for season 2.
ASH Is Off To A Near-Perfect Start On Rotten Tomatoes
Paul & González Play Two Astronauts Stranded On An Alien Planet
Now, González and Paul have teamed up forASH, the latest genre-bending effort from multi-hyphenate Flying Lotus, who previously also wrote and directed 2017’sKusoand the “Ozzy’s Dungeon” segment ofV/H/S/99. The new film follows González as Riya, an astronaut who awakes to the crew of her space station murdered on a distant planet and no memory of who she is or what happened, while also cautious about trusting the man who says he came to help. Also starring Iko Uwais, Belulah Koale, Kate Elliott and Lotus himself,ASHjust made its premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival.
On the heels of its premiere, reviews are rolling out for the film and, with 22 reviews,Rotten Tomatoeshas calculated the movie’s debut score. At the time of writing,ASHholds a 91% approval rating from critics on the review aggregate, marking a very promising start for the sci-fi horror film. It also marks a minimal drop from its initial debut score, having started at a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with a little over a dozen reviews.
Our Take On ASH’s Rotten Tomatoes Debut Score
Shudder Might Have A Bona Fide Hit On Their Hands
With still a week remaining until the movie’s release on March 21, there’s certainly the potential for the score to drop further, though in looking atASH’s published reviews thus far,even the more mixed critical responses are leaning on the positive side of the scale. As of now, only two of the 22 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are listed as Rotten, holding decidedly negative scores of 3/10. EvenScreenRant’s own Mae Abdulbaki, who gave the film a 5/10, still gave it a Fresh rating, writing the following about her mixed feelings on the film:
Ashhas highs and lows. Its tension can overshadow its thin character development. To keep the mystery going, the film had to keep us at arm’s length. At the same time, the film’s lack of character-building removed some of the investment I had for what happens next — to Riya and the mission.Ashcan be horrific and genuinely startling; there’s a specific scene near the end that underscores the apprehension that permeates the film. It’s chilling and memorable.
Regardless of what the movie’s final score on the platform turns out to be,this largely positive early response from critics is a very promising sign for howASHwill perform on Shudder. Having the combined name recognition of Paul and González is already sure to draw eyes to the film. With Shudder gradually gaining a foothold in the streaming race thanks to everything fromtheV/H/S/franchiseto the viral hitLate Night with the Devil,ASHcould very well put them further on the map.
Ash
Cast
On the mysterious planet Ash, Riya awakens to find her crew slaughtered. When Brion arrives to rescue her, they face an ordeal of psychological and physical terror, grappling with trust and survival.
