Every action has a consequence, and Ash & Dust proves it by delivering an unusual product treated in a very artsy method to tell a fulfilling story about revenge.

Bad luck seems to follow a couple in crisis: their economic situation is not the best and their wish to bring add a child to the family seems like dust in the wind. To add salt to the wound, one morning they find the body of their dog and decide to bury it in the garden with no hope their luck will improve soon. While digging a hole, the man finds a small wooden box with a bunch of gold coins inside. Thinking that luck is finally on his side, the man goes to a pawn shop to ask the value of the coins, but he decides to wait to exchange them for cash.

The shop owner seems to know too much about the coins and decides to contact a group of people to let them know the box has been unearthed and to quickly act on the matter. One would think that fortune would finally be smiling to the couple— well… no. At the same time, and as a counterpart, another couple going through financial problems is expecting their first baby. Sadly, the man ends unemployed and feels forced to ask his uncle for a job— and luck won’t be on his side either. Like a great Greek tragedy, paths will cross and create more havoc than solutions. Who could emerge victorious when a bunch of coins seem to have sealed everyone’s fate?

Ash & Dust is like the random storyline that appears in several episodes of the animated series American Dad!, where an alien drops a golden turd with encrusted gems and anyone who finds it goes crazy and is murdered by the greed of the next owner.

Before I speak positively about this film, because I only have admiration for the work that the cast and production members did, I must admit that the thread of the story is a bit complicated to follow – it is confusing because of the style editing used. Basically, they are telling a story with abrupt cuts between past and present. Although, I’m still trying to figure out if the first scene was part of the past and how the group of hitmen are tied to a box of ancient gold coins.

Adrian Langley, director and writer of Ash & Dust, leaves a peculiar style marked throughout the film. Being this the second Langley feature film that I’ve had the opportunity to see (first one was Butchers), I can differentiate the quality between both products– I am not saying that one is better than the other, but it is evident that one has a better structure than the other.

At first glance, Ash & Dust appears to be a slow, low-budget movie with cold acting and short dialogue without much impact. If the viewer pays close attention to the screen, they’ll strike gold when they start noticing the little details that make this movie different: from how the dialogue is delivered to the angle chosen for the cast to deliver their lines. In the end, you’ll appreciate yourself for making time to watch and analyze it.

9 OUT OF 10 COINS