Common Sense Media Review
By Jose Solis
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Saudi school disaster sequel with peril, emotional distress.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
From the Ashes: The Pit
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
FROM THE ASHES: THE PIT follows three students, Mona (Aseel Morya), Masheal (Moudi Abdullah), and Maria (Aseel Seraj), who are back at school after surviving a tragic fire when a violent storm hits and the ground collapses beneath their feet. The girls fall into a pit on the school grounds with rising water and no easy way out. Trapped underground, they must work together to survive and face their fears, uncover old tensions, and learn more about themselves and each other as they try to find a way out.
Is It Any Good?
Nothing in this film feels tense or real. From the Ashes: The Pit takes another tragedy involving the same group of girls from the first installment in the series and treats it like a blunt instrument, hammering home lessons they already should have learned. If the film had used the disaster the way something like Carrie used horror to explore adolescence, it might have said something sharper about fear, growth, or social pressure. Instead, it simply stages another catastrophe and pushes its characters through it without insight. The fact that these films claim to be inspired by real events only raises a bigger question: what is the filmmaker actually trying to say?
The acting is fine, and the young performers do what they can, but the script is so preposterous there's only so much anyone can salvage. The effects look underproduced, the twists are obvious, and the ending leans on emotional manipulation rather than earned payoff. It's not satisfying as a disaster movie because it lacks tension, and it's not satisfying as a high school drama because it stays vague and symbolic instead of specific. It's hard to know who this is meant for, beyond viewers willing to accept melodrama in place of meaning.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Mona learns to stand up for herself during a crisis. What helped her change, and have you ever had a moment where you found your voice? What happened?
Maria starts the film as a bully. What makes someone change their behavior, and do you think people deserve second chances? Why or why not?
The girls have to rely on each other when they're trapped. Why is teamwork especially important in scary or dangerous situations?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : January 22, 2026
- Cast : Aseel Morya , Moudi Abdullah , Aseel Seraj
- Director : Abdullah Bamajboor
- Inclusion Information : Middle Eastern/North African Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Middle Eastern/North African Movie Actor(s) , Middle Eastern/North African Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : School ( High School )
- Run time : 89 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : February 17, 2026
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