Ashes is a supernatural horror movie created in 2019. The film captures the horror of family neglect and rage that has been bottled up for way too long. The narrative incorporates classic horror constructs with a distinctive storyline told in a mockumentary format, blending traditional storytelling with the style of a documentary so that we can explore the lack of intimacy and connection within a family. Instead of defaulting to jump scares or overly graphic violence, Ashes draws into psychological horror, the film forces the viewers to confront deeply buried emotions wrapped around guilt, suffocating memories, and the scars that denial brings.
Synopsis:
Marion’s remians serve as the catalyst for the transformation of this already dysfunctional family, unleashing supernatural forces into their lives. Ellyn, her husband Duane, their teenage son Ty, and nephew Chip comprise this family that loses its foothold in reality after an estranged family member passes away. The pulverized remains of Ellyn’s aunt, Marion, now lie in an urn on a mantle together with a mournful sob, imprisoned until her family chooses to face her.
Fearful of shattering the porcelain urn within which they intend to keep Marion’s ashes, most of them bloom with a story or two about her character that enables them to unnaturally engage with her. The dismembered pieces of her identity over the years allow each of them to capture a glimpse of her character and importance that relinquished love marries. Immediately upon being placed their, eery happenings within the household commence – items rearranging themselves on their own, peculiar echoes lift for unengaging conversations, and a heavy atmosphere settles through the house like unexplained fear.
The incidents continue to get worse as the days go by. Marion’s spirit becomes more active, Powerfully coming into contact with every family member in the most intimate and horrifying ways. The reasons for these specific hauntings are deeply rooted in the family’s history filled with indifference and complex feelings regarding Marion’s life and death. Marion’s passive discomfort escalates further into violent haunting that magnifies the family’s wounds.
Among many other horror films, Ashes stands out due to its a plot structure. It is told through a series of mockumentary-styled interviews featuring family members, showcasing their shock, emotional detachment, or even dark humor as they recount their experiences. These interviews are characterized by complete control over their narrative that creates a double-edged sword of inevitability—people learning about how everything went terribly wrong while accepting they are too late.
This particular storytelling approach enhances the relatability of horror, bringing it in closer to home. Its mockumentary format doesn’t just highlight a sense of realism, but brings a whole other wave of unconventional suspense because viewers are led to deeper understanding that something horrendous has indeed happened.
Cast & Crew
Main Cast:
Elizabeth Keener as Ellyn – The mother who represents practicality tries to keep everything in control yet unravels completely from psychotic pressure.
Melinda DeKay as Aunt Marion – Even though DeKay plays Marion primarily as a supernatural presence, her flashbacks imbue the character with more depth and menace.
Damien Diaz as Ty – The teenage son who is a skeptic of the paranormal, until the paranormal begins zeroing in on him directly.
Jeremy Isaiah Earl as Duane – Ellyn’s spouse who has a hard time trying to reason out the mysteries.
Casey James Knight as Chip – The rebellious nephew who is emotionally vulnerable beneath his snide demeanor.
Crew:
Director & Writer – Barry Jay – Exploring psychological elements of horror, Barry Jay weaves a character-driven tale filled with eerie tension.
Producers: Barry Jay and Jennifer M. Esquivel
Production Company: Compulsion Films / Killer Therapy
For Barry Jay’s approach to directing, the focus is on building tension slowly, emphasizing the psychological rather than overt spectacle. His focus on grief, guilt, and repression enables Ashes to offer an experience of horror that is more cerebral than most entries within the genre.
Themes and Symbolism
Aunt Marion’s ashes are a reminder of trauma unaddressed both in a literal and metaphorical manner. The remains of her death triggers the haunting, but the true source of the ghost’s wrath is their history; years of emotional neglect, gossip, and distance. The neglect they suffered translates as vengeance from the ghost. The ashes serve as a metaphor for the pain and denial that is forgotten only to be confronted in the end.
The film also tackles guilt within a family across decades. Throughout her lifetime, Marion was a burden. In death, her memory is a burden. The interviews with the characters depict a range of complete sorrow paired with indifference or utter bewilderment—still, none are sufficient enough to stop the curse from coming to fruition.
Reception and Critical Analysis
The reaction to the film was largely mixed from the start. Ashes equally engaged audiences and critics. Fans of slower, psychological horror enjoyed the character driven story and appreciated it for its thoughtful approach. Many found the mockumentary style overtly creative, as it added depth and an almost satirical spin that diversified the horror.
Even with so little screen time, critics praised Melinda DeKay’s performance as Aunt Marion. She depicted both tragedy and malevolence through flashbacks and occasional ghostly appearances. Other reviewers also noted the importance of Elizabeth Keener’s performance, describing her as the story’s emotional core.
Not all viewers responded favorably to the film’s combination of dark humor with sincere horror. Some viewers expressed concern that integrating interview footage with traditional scenes altered the pacing, which at times felt erratic. Others described the psychologically intense scares as lacking the visceral brutality often expected in horror films.
Even so, Ashes has cultivated a devoted, albeit small, fanbase that values the film’s intimate and morally complex storytelling, along with its haunting metaphors. While the film wrestles with external demons, it approaches internal struggles such that it aligns with indie horror films more concerned with substance than spectacle.
Conclusion
Ashes is not a loud, frantic horror film that has a lot of jump scares. It is, rather, a more controlled drift into supernatural and emotional devastation caused by the past and the spirits that linger. My view of Barry Jay’s direction suggests that he intends to showcase the burden of guilt and neglect a family inflicts upon themselves, beautifully executed by the pregnancy of the film’s construction.
Though it may not be for most horror lovers, especially the ones who get their adrenaline rush from slashers and cheap scares, Ashes remains exceptional in terms of its execution and emotional depth. The film acts as a powerful reminder that, at times, the most frightening ghosts one can encounter are the ones one has suppressed the most.
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