I wasn't entirely sure that Ash & Dust was a horror or not. The synopsis sounded like this was a crime thriller, but the trailer brought horror vibes to me. Well, it turns out the Adrian Langley (Slasher Film) written and directed movie is the former of the two. While the snowy setting reminded me of Fargo, the near complete lack of dialogue turned this into something of an experiment. The synopsis is my interpretation of the events, the lack of talking means I wasn't able to completely fathom the actual plot.
A precious box has been stolen from a local crime boss in a remote Canadian town, and his enforcers, led by Zach (possibly Simon Phillips - The Nights Before Christmas) have set out to locate this McGuffin. Being violent criminals they do this the only way they know how, by torturing potential suspects in the hope they will reveal where it is. One such man they capture, Wade (Michael Swatton - Age of the Living Dead TV series) is taken out to the woods and shot, but unknown to his assailants he manages to survive. Returning home to find his wife dead, Wade sets out with bloody vengeance on his mind.
This is an incredibly slow film to watch, with scenes far more interested in slow pans and long shots than with any kind of dialogue. That the film somehow manages to tell a story despite there being barely any dialogue at all was impressive, but I wish there had been more dialogue than what was given. Time doesn't seem to flow normally during Ash & Dust, while a lot of it is in a logical order, there are elements that felt like they were either from the past or the future occuring. There also wasn't really a protagonist to be found here, there are several characters put forward but none really felt like they were the lead. Of course, there is Wade, yet his journey doesn't really begin until the second act. Then there is Joel (Blake Canning - Butchers), a low level criminal who is integral to the story and seems like he may get a redemptive arc. The most noble of the characters is Detective Bronwyn (Kayla Meyer), she appears in many scenes investigating the various murders after they have taken place, to my knowledge this character doesn't actually have a single line of dialogue. Her only piece of backstory is provided by a note she picks up when in her car.
Special effects were not bad, though the sound effects, especially for guns, sounded a bit artificial, not seeming like it was part of the scene it was being used in. There were plenty of guns being fired here, often with people getting shot just off screen. Being set mainly outdoors in snowy fields and woodland meant there was lots of times blood would be on the snow, something that always is pleasing to see. The acting wasn't bad, especially seeing as how the actors don't have much to work with. Favourite actor was Nick Biskupek (Age of the Living Dead TV series) as the slimy Nik, and there were a few other enjoyable performances. While definitely bleak, the story was simply told with the various sub plots not really amounting to much.
For some the glacial pace of Ash & Dust will be enough to put them off. I do like the occasionally slow film, but even here I found myself yawning on a few occasions. I will always appreciate a film with little dialogue, makes for a change every once in a while, but I wish there had been slightly more going on here. Ash & Dust is due for release on 31st October from High Fliers Films.
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