In the new sci-fi horror movie Ash, actor Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) plays Biron, a space station crew member who’s trying to convince his fellow crewmate, Sara (Eiza González), that he’s part of their mission.

At the beginning of the film, Sara wakes up on the floor of a base camp on a distant planet and finds that her entire crew has been massacred. She also can’t remember anything from her past. So, when Biron steps into the station, she has no recollection of who he is or what his intentions might be.

With their lives seemingly on the line, Sara and Biron are forced to work together to find out what killed everyone — and they must do so before they end up with targets on their backs.

During a recent interview with the Current, Paul talked about starring in a film with his longtime friend Eiza González and his experience working with musician and visionary filmmaker Flying Lotus. He also revealed the first movie he remembers that terrified him as a kid.

Ash is currently playing at San Antonio-area theaters, including Santikos Casa Blanca, Santikos Palladium, Regal Cielo Vista and Cinemark 16.

You were just here for the SXSW Film and TV Festival, yes?

Yes, I was just in Austin. I gotta tell you, that Southern hospitality, there’s nothing like it. Every time I go to Texas, it’s like a warm hug. It’s a beautiful place.

What was it about Ash that made you want to be a part of the film?

It’s such a mind trip of a read. It’s like something I’ve never read before. Also, [working with] Eiza [González]. I’ve been dear friends with that lovely woman for a very long time. When she moved to LA, we became fast friends. She’s obsessed with my wife and my kiddos. She’s the best.

So, you saw she was circling the script, too, and …

It was sent to us at the same time, and I hit her up and asked her if she had read it yet, and she hadn’t. So, we decided to read it at the same time. We linked up quickly after we read it and were like, “Maybe we should tackle this together.” It seemed like a dream. Then, we sat down with [filmmaker Flying Lotus] and fell in love with him. He had such a big swing of a vision. [The film] is such a crazy mind trip of a movie. It takes you on a journey.

It starts off very quietly before the craziness of the third act.

It’s a quiet film in terms of locations. It really just takes place on the base camp. Outside of the base camp is the planet. We shot that all on a soundstage — well, a warehouse in New Zealand. We were able to shoot from beginning to end, which is very rare when you’re shooting a project. But since it was all very internal, we were able to do that.

What was the experience like working on that sound stage? Was that kind of environment limiting for you as an actor?

It actually felt like we were there. It was so dark. We’d go there in the morning, so the sun had not risen yet, and we would wrap when the sun went down. So, we were in darkness for the duration of the shoot. [The setting] really transports you there.

I really liked the design of your space suit.

The moment I put it on for the first time, it was an experience. It has a beautiful lighting element to it. I quickly knew I had to steal it. It was like, “I have to take mine!” They were generous enough to give us our suits [after the production wrapped].

What’s your earliest childhood memory of watching something scary, and how did that impact you as a kid?

Honestly, the most terrifying theatrical experience when I was a child was watching Bambi. I remember watching Bambi, and I think I’m watching a cartoon, but then all of a sudden, the mother is massacred in front of Bambi by these hunters. It just rocked me. I mean, I think it rocked every single child out there. That’s when you’re first understanding what death means, and that you could possibly lose a parent. That’s every child’s worst nightmare.

Flying Lotus, or FlyLo, isn’t your typical filmmaker. How did his background as a musician affect his cinematic vision?

I’ve been such a fan of his music and his videos for many years. He’s always pushing the envelope. When you see something [he’s created], it’s very “Flying Lotus.” He has his own voice. We knew [the film] was going to be out there. That’s why we were very excited to tackle it. He already knew exactly what these characters were going to look like. He knew what the tattoos and the hairstyles and the clothing were going to be. FlyLo is such a visionary. Between setups, he would act as a DJ and set the vibe and tone on the set and play music on loudspeakers. It was amazing.

Without giving away too much, how much of your fight at the end of the film was CGI and how much of it was practical effects?

For the most part, everything was practical. I don’t want to give too much away, but it all comes to a head in the third act, and shit definitely goes down.

Is that you behind the makeup?

That is not me behind the makeup.

Ah, OK, because we do see your face on this sort of flap, so I’m assuming…

Yeah, that flap is definitely [my face, but] we did a lot of scans. When [audiences] see the movie, [they’ll] see what we’re talking about.

Did you get to keep the flap?

(Laughs). No, I wanted to stay as far away from the flap as possible.

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This article appears in Mar 19 – Apr 1, 2025.