Slashers are most definitely a cornerstone of the horror genre, so it’s only fair to assume there are hundreds, if not thousands of feature-length masked killers in our collective video catalogues. Shorts are another matter; filmmaker Shane R. Preston takes this quintessential subgenre and makes the most out of a 20-minute timeslot with From the Ashes.
Two old buddies reunite to scatter the ashes of their friend and brother. Unbeknownst to them, they are soon to be visited by their late companion from beyond the grave.
From the Ashes, IMDB
We start off with the typical Slasher trope of a man being stalked and eventually killed by an unknown assailant. Cut to two friends driving to a seaside cliff to scatter his ashes. After a few kind words, they are accosted by a local who warns them of the “Pale Moon Slasher.” And here, we start the storyline we’ve all been waiting for — a Slasher rife with campfire arguments, scenic nighttime POVs, a ghastly origin story, and of course, badass kills.
I really like to point out how a film looks and feels when I find it especially relevant to the story. From the beginning, From the Ashes was anything but crisp and smooth; there is an old-school grain throughout the movie, with fuzzy edges and an almost “80s glam photoshoot” quality to it that made this modern movie match the aesthetic of the Slashers from 40 years ago. On that same note, the coloring is warm and inviting with purples, blues, and orange firelight. From the Ashes lives and breathes a spooky campfire tale emerging from your nightmares. You may not think softer visuals like these matter in a hardcore gore fest, but they really do!
Contrary to popular belief, a Slasher doesn’t necessarily need to have insane amounts of gore and blood to have effective kills. From the Ashes is relatively tame in that area compared to bigger productions like Terrifier. It’s obviously not completely devoid of violence and blood; From the Ashes just relies more on storytelling and ambiance rather than outright gore. But I will say that the more special effect-heavy scenes do look pretty gnarly for what I assume is a smaller budget.
There are some cool kills — one that is particularly graphic — but I wanted to highlight the more subtle scares this short features. From the Ashes has a couple of gorgeous scene-setting wide shots of our Slasher character standing menacingly in the treeline, or wading across moonlit waters. Dutch angles give From the Ashes that chaotic, disheveled look too, making sure we as the audience are as discombobulated as the victims are.
From the Ashes presents a very succinct take on Slasher tropes, leaving behind the dumb decisions, nonsense gap fillers, and instead prioritizing story and visuals. The 20 minutes goes by extremely fast — but I guess that’s what happens when you’re having fun. From the Ashes brings life and emotion to the subgenre, making it more than just another crazed killer on the lose. There is actual feeling behind it, something that is both said on screen as well as felt directly from the atmosphere. It’s simple, but brings a lot to the table.
From the Ashes is currently running in the festival circuit. For more information, visit the film on Instagram.
