Breaking Bad star's new sci-fi horror movie debuts to an almost perfect score on RT as first reactions compare it to Event Horizon

Aaron Paul in Ash
(Image credit: Shudder)

Shudder's upcoming sci-fi horror Ash, starring Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul and 3 Body Problem's Eiza González, is getting mostly good reviews ahead of its cinema release next week.

Following its premiere at SXSW, the film currently sits at an impressive 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, an almost perfect score. Critics are praising its "razor-sharp visuals" and "ultra-violent" story, with some of them even comparing it to sci-fi classics like Alien and Event Horizon.

"Flying Lotus' Ash is a mind-bending cosmic horror masterfully brought to life with endless style", reads Discussing Film's review of the film, while Screen International says "the film should largely appeal to genre crowds and midnight-movie aficionados."

"The equivalent of an ultra-violent, familiar space survival horror video game in cinematic form. It’s an immersive, experiential vibe movie that washes over you with its droning score that ramps up in intensity along with the chaos", writes Bloody Disgusting.

"A pummeling psychedelic sci-fi freakout that one doesn’t watch so much as experience", adds Indiewire.

Directed by filmmaker and rapper Flying Lotus, the film sees Paul and González trying to overcome their distrust for each other while the truth behind a terrible crime comes to the surface.

Per the official logline, "When a woman wakes up on a distant planet and finds the crew of her space station viciously killed, she must decide if she can trust the man sent to rescue her. But as their investigation into what happened sets in motion a terrifying chain of events, he begins to wonder how innocent she really is...."

Consider our expectations for this survival horror in space well raised as we wait to watch it on the big screen.

Ash is released in theaters on March 21. For more, check out our list of all upcoming movies in cinemas.

Mireia Mullor
Contributing Writer

Mireia is a UK-based culture journalist and critic. She previously worked as Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy, and her work as a freelance writer has appeared in WeLoveCinema and Spanish magazines Fotogramas, Esquire, and Elle. She is also a published author, having written a book about Studio Ghibli's 'Kiki's Delivery Service' in 2023. Talking about anime and musicals is the best way to grab her attention.

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