Title: Sirāt
MPA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Oliver Laxe
Starring: Sergi Lopez, Stefania Gadda, Bruno Núñez Arjona
Runtime: 1hr 55 mins

What It Is: There’s a massive rave happening in the desert in North Africa. Luis (López) is trying to find his daughter, who has run off. With the help of his younger son, Esteban (Arjona), they ask a group of fellow ravers who are headed to another rave for help locating her. This misfit group then attempts to traverse the dangers of the North African desert to reach that rave, each for their own reasons. This trip is far from as simple as any of them think it’s going to be.

What We Think: Have you ever watched a film that just absolutely gut-punches you? That’s exactly how this one feels. Something happens in the third act that completely throws you for a loop, not to mention the ending. Sergi López is phenomenal. Over the course of the film, he has to navigate nearly every emotion imaginable, and he pulls it off beautifully.

The sound design here is top-notch, and it has to be. This is a film centered around ravers and the electronic music scene. Laxe gives the film an enormous sense of scope, and it works perfectly to help us understand just how difficult and harrowing this trek really is.

Our Grade: A, Spain absolutely brings it. NEON has picked this one up, and it will be Spain’s submission for the Academy Awards this year. I anticipate it’ll pick up some serious steam. Wonderfully realistic performances are paired with Laxe’s grand vision and cinematographer Mauro Herce’s stunning visuals. If you’re up for a journey that sucker-punches you at every turn, check this out. That’s exactly what it is: a beautiful desert story that isn’t afraid to trust its audience and play with its emotions.

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