“Fayna Sanchez is fantastic as Mia, crafting a character perfectly at home in the echelons of the ‘psychotic women’ horror icons such as Barbara Hershey in The Entity, Sissy Spacek in Carrie, Drew Barrymore in Doppelganger, and Isabelle Adjani in Possession.”
“House of Ashes […] led by a powerhouse performance from Fayna Sanchez. […] Fayna Sanchez gives an outstanding, impressively poignant performance as Mia, who represents all women fighting for bodily autonomy in a male-dominated world.”
“Sanchez and Stalba carry House of Ashes on their backs with ease, […] especially Sanchez as Mia. She brings the character a crucial complexity; she’s traumatized and feels broken, and she lashes out sometimes. But she’s also powerful and full of love, which should never be underestimated.”
“As Mia, Sanchez is an absolute powerhouse. Her growth throughout the film is easily the film’s most captivating feature as she transforms from fragile to fearless […] “House of Ashes” delivers a poignant and powerful story about breaking free from control that features a revelatory performance from Fayna Sanchez.”
“Sanchez’s performance as Mia is captivating, bringing to life the jaw-dropping difference between Mia before the tragedy, and then after. It’s almost impossible to believe it is the same person in both scenarios, such is the range Sanchez brings to the role.”
“However, the real star here is the rock star Fayna Sanchez as a woman whose vulnerability oozes everywhere she turns and whose entire being feels wounded and weary. It’s a difficult performance to keep us glued to her and yet Sanchez is incredibly strong throughout the film’s 94-minute running time. With a story featuring both richly human and supernatural elements, Sanchez truly soars in giving us a woman we can relate to along the way.”
“Here are some things you should watch this movie for: Fayna Sanchez. This is a dour story, and it could have been painful to watch 90 minutes that start with suffering and offer no hope of load lightening. But Fayna’s Mia keeps it engaging. […] An actor wants a role that allows her to portray a wide range, and Fayna gets that opportunity in House of Ashes. She has joy, grief, fear, vulnerability, empowerment, and she nails all of it.”
“The film shifts easily from reality to nightmare to daymare to night terror to something else entirely. Mia, thanks to the fine performance by Fayna Sanchez, is never entirely sure if she’s having a lucid dream or if her reality is cracking all around her.”