Netflix’s Saudi Arabian release From The Ashes: The Pit is a sequel to the disaster drama titled For The Ashes. The film is primarily centered around characters from the first installment, and naturally, unresolved trauma is integral to the sequel. After surviving a deadly fire, the characters are back at a new school, but it looks like disaster keeps following them (not in the Final Destination kind of way). The bullies from the first film have transformed significantly; they now prefer staying away from drama and didn’t stir up trouble. However, they experience this constant emptiness—the past haunts them, they miss their friends, and they lack an overall purpose in life. In From The Ashes: The Pit they attempt to rebuild their lives all over again, and this time through another disaster!
As a subgenre, disaster films continue to be extremely relevant. The fact most of these films are based on real incidents and experiences further makes them compelling. It is also perhaps this very factor that makes it a difficult genre to execute. If not done well, the films might look amateurish, failing to evoke the right emotions. Paul Greengrass’ The Lost Bus is a recent example of an impressive disaster film inspired by the 2018 Camp Fire. Instead of an elaborate tale, the focus was more on mimicking the panic and the deadly blaze. Whereas in From The Ashes: The Pit, the drama takes precedence, as the film explores themes of redemption and forgiveness.
Mona, Heba, and Mashael have enrolled in a new school, and as already mentioned, they are no longer friends. Mona desperately tries to get in the good books of the most popular girl in school, Maria. Although Maria treats her miserably, Mona doesn’t seem to care; all she wants is to fit in. Heba prefers to keep to herself; she misses her friends and secretly hopes they can all move on from the past. Mashael’s life isn’t easy at the new school. Maria bullies her, makes racist remarks, and gets away with it. But one day, Mashael decides to take a stand for herself and ends up getting into a physical altercation with Maria. Their mothers are informed about their misdemeanor and are asked to meet the principal at school. Meanwhile, Mashael tries to strike up a conversation with Mona. She has recently found out that Mona’s mother was planning to marry her off, so she figures she must inform Mona about it. Mona isn’t happy to see Mashael at first; she blames Mashael for attempting to ruin her friendship with Maria. Mashael couldn’t believe that Mona failed to see that she was being mistreated by Maria. Soon, Maria walks up to them, and once again Mashael and Maria get into a nasty fight. Suddenly, the ground cracks open and the three fall into a pit. From the very beginning of the film, radio announcements stated that there would be medium to heavy rainfall that would likely result in floods in low-lying areas. The title, the announcements, and the pouring rain were clear indications of what was in store. So, did the girls manage to make it out of the pit? Well, you have to watch the film to find out. But if you’re wondering if the film is any good, then continue reading!
A disaster film is meant to make you feel trapped, claustrophobic, and helpless, but in From The Ashes: The Pit, this atmosphere is not well executed. The girls end up in a pit, and while the situation is concerning, I personally did not feel that invested. You don’t really get to find out how deep the pit is, something that would’ve immediately set off a sense of panic. The VFX is subpar, so the brief fall that we witness isn’t convincing. The water level was rising time and again, but instead of staying with the characters, the scenes cut away repeatedly, and by the time we again get to see the girls in the pit, they have somehow always managed to stay afloat. What could’ve been intense, high-stake scenes were abruptly cut short. Perhaps it was a result of technical constraints, but then again, the audience is really not supposed to be concerned about such details, and they act as a major setback for the film. The pit as a metaphor to signify how the characters felt stuck or helpless in certain aspects of their lives works to an extent, but it doesn’t really pay off. The internal conflicts could’ve been explored along with the survival angle, but in this case, the survival element is almost like an afterthought. Unless the characters are in real palpable trouble, it is somewhat expected that the audience won’t really be invested. There is a reason why a film like 127 Hours (setting aside the production value) had such an unforgettable impact on the audience; you simply get to be with the character throughout the struggle, and that makes you root for them. From The Ashes: The Pit tries to do it all, from drama to comedy and also disaster, and ultimately fails to really stand out in any aspect.
At best, From The Ashes: The Pit is a teen drama with some disaster elements. School students with certain differences are brought together by circumstance and forced to confront their past. Theoretically this too could’ve been intriguing, but unfortunately the problems that the film addresses are quite superficial. Mona’s mother planning to marry her off while she wanted to pursue higher studies was a promising subplot, but the film doesn’t really get into it in depth. While the first installment had made certain social commentary in passing, this time, the film refrains from doing so altogether. The story is extremely hollow; the friendship between the girls is perhaps the only saving grace.
Considering the vast range of options viewers have on OTT platforms to select from, it is hard to say why anyone would want to invest over ninety minutes watching a film that really doesn’t have much to say. According to its Netflix tag, the film is supposed to be ‘emotional,’ but let’s get one thing straight: exaggerated emotions expressed verbally or shown visually are really not enough to move the audience. There isn’t much to say about the performances. A low budget is never really the problem; with an effective plot and the right execution, one can deliver a memorable film (we’ve seen countless examples before!). Overall, From The Ashes: The Pit is one of those films that you don’t really remember after watching. It is at best an average drama that fails to evoke any emotion, good or bad.
