FrightFest 2024 features genre offerings from across the globe, from the ‘world's first Irish language horror', to this stunning, gritty, and thoroughly dark female-led Western Thriller from Luxembourg. Directed by Loïc Tanson, The Last Ashes was the official submission of Luxembourg for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards this year after premiering at the 56th Sitges Film Festival in 2023.

Set in the 1800s, The Last Ashes tells the story of Helene (Sophie Mousel) who we first meet as a child living in a small commune run by the Graff family. As Luxembourg fights for independence, famine and disease run rife across the nation, and the authoritarian Graff family, led by their oppressive father (Jules Werner), promises safety and good health if residents in their clan submit to their customs. Helene is promised to Graff's son Jon (Timo Wagner), but when she discovers her purpose is solely to bear children, she plans to escape with her mother and father. Fifteen years after the Graffs brutally slaughtered her parents and she was left for dead, Helene is back for revenge.

With the historical background of Luxembourg's independence and the creation of the railroad across the country, Helene's tale of revenge and bloodlust utilises external factors for a tense, slow-burning thriller that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. The Graff family are itching for a fight with railroad workers encroaching on their land, and Helene provides the spark for explosive conflict as settlers in the clan go missing, turn up dead, and misfortune befalls the settlers. It culminates in a cathartic end sequence in which Helene completes the task she returned to do – but it unfolds in a way many may not expect. Helene rides away from the carnage dejected, though it's not clear whether this is because she is finally free of the anger that has driven her for more than a decade, or the sense of failure that she was not the sole crusader on this mission. After all, the Graffs made a lot of enemies over the years.

The stylistic choices in The Last Ashes are sublime, with the opening tale of Helene's childhood told in black and white and in a 4:3 ratio that gives the horrific origin story of her rage a grimmer, bleaker tone. Fifteen years in the future, the world is still tinged in a muted colour palette to match the dour tones of the narrative, but made beautiful by several creative shots that personify the dynamics of the Graff clan.

Mousel delivers a powerhouse performance as Helene as she infiltrates the commune under the alias of Oona, picking off the outliers as she makes her way to Graff himself. Timo Wagner is similarly stunning as Jon, while Jules Werner is captivatingly imposing as Graff. Marie Jung gives an emotional performance as Marie, who was taken by the Graff family thanks to Helene as a child and forced to endure multiple miscarriages and infant deaths in a bid to bear an heir.

Tanson's directorial debut is a masterclass in building a thrilling narrative that slowly unfolds, leaving no stones unturned while delivering a nuanced portrayal of love, hatred, and revenge. The performances in The Last Ashes are captivating from start to finish, culminating in a haunting final scene that leaves viewers questioning the emotional payoff of Helene's endeavour.

The Last Ashes had its UK premiere at FrightFest 2024 on Sunday, August 25.

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