Ash on Prime promised a chilling journey into the void, a spiritual successor perhaps to the grimy, claustrophobic brilliance of Alien. What it delivers, however, is a rather pedestrian stumble in the dark, barely registering a lukewarm 5/10. This isn’t the terrifying descent into cosmic horror we craved; it’s more akin to a damp squib in deep space.
The story, on paper, has the bones of a classic: a remote space station, a mysterious contagion, and a crew facing an unknown threat. Yet, the narrative quickly loses its way, becoming a muddled affair that prioritises predictable jump-scares over genuine tension.
The direction, regrettably, fails to conjure any real atmosphere, opting for a rather flat visual palette and a lack of imaginative set-pieces that could have elevated the material.
As for the acting, while the cast certainly tries, they’re often left adrift by a script that provides little in the way of compelling character development. One struggles to invest in their plight when their motivations and personalities remain as nebulous as a nebula.
A real shame, as the potential for a truly unsettling sci-fi horror was clearly there, just sadly unfulfilled.
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