Final Rating: 3.5/5
Oliver Laxe’s sprawling road trip adventure, Sirât, starts out with Luis (Sergi López) and his son Estaban (Bruno Núñez Arjona) searching for his daughter Mar who has been gone for months. We meet them in the Moroccan desert at a rave as they have word she may be there, and proceed to look for her amongst the many revellers gathered to take in the scene. However, try as they might, nobody has seen her.
As they continue their search, the military arrives to break up the festivities, not simply because they feel like it, but rather due to some impending danger in the area. The crowd begins to pack up and a large convoy disperses, making its way back to wherever they came from, but as the story unfolds we’re never presented with who or what that danger is.
Luis is informed that there is another rave further south, and perhaps his daughter is there. So he makes the decision to follow a group going there, and heads out on the treacherous journey across the desert. The two larger vehicles lead the way, full of a carefree spirit. This eclectic group includes Jade (Jade Oukid), Steff (Stefania Gadda), Bigui (Richard Bellamy), Tonin (Tonin Janvier) and Josh (Joshua Liam Henderson).
These artful souls are like a family to one another (as Bigui notes he prefers them to his own) and certainly not the types of individuals that generally speaking would have crossed paths with the more buttoned up Luis. However, as you’d imagine there’s a certain comradery that develops as they chart this journey, and while it would have served to see Luis as a bit more of a fish out of water than the few glimpses we get, the relationships certainly add heart to the story. As they head out across the desert, they’re careful to stick to back roads and mountain passes to avoid the military who keep a presence in the area.
The cinematography of the gorgeous desert landscapes and the sound design, whether it’s the pulsing EDM music or wind howling across the sand, is something that is best experienced in a theater, as the film itself is an experience. The performances are solid and you get the genuine feeling of a group that cares for one another. The inciting narrative is eschewed part way through, in that it’s no longer primarily about searching for Mar, as is the military tension, and the result is much more a vibe movie relaying a series of events and feelings as they cope with the earlier tension.
This is epitomized when they pull up in the desert, get high and just turn on the music to feel its rhythm and pulsations, connect with the sound, the world around them, and one another. Without getting into specific spoiler territory, there are several visceral moments that will stick with you long after the film ends. The performances are heartfelt and while the pacing is often slow and deliberate, we want to take this journey, as it is not one we come to expect.
There is a line at the opening about the path between paradise and hell and how narrow the margin is, and you can’t help feeling that as the story unfolds. The characters are put through any manner of tests, and have no choice but to persevere and perhaps that’s the entire point, not just for them but also concerning what obstacles face us in our daily lives. Given its very vibe movie nature, it’s not one that will reverberate with everyone, but those in tune will certainly enjoy the trip.
Sirât was seen during the 2025 Genre Gems Film Festival.
