To call Oliver Laxe’s latest feature-length film, Sirāt, an emotional roller coaster with loud and catchy EDM music playing in the background would be a bit of an understatement. What starts as a quaint, chill, vibes-based road trip between a group of unlikely companions who drive across the Moroccan desert, then slowly spirals into a stressful, anxiety-fueled nightmare with death and sorrow at every turn, certainly makes for one of the more whiplash-y films of the year.
In fact, this stark contrast between the two halves of Sirāt seems to be at the heart of why this film has become divisive for several critics and audience members. I personally respected this sudden change in tone and narrative goals because not only does it come completely out of left field (in fact, it is the first film in quite some time where I quietly exclaimed “holy shit” while watching), but it also allowed the film to blossom from a passive viewing experience into something more actively engaging that gripped my attention even tighter. Yet before I get ahead of myself, it’s essential to explore what this movie sets out to accomplish.
Sirāt follows a man named Luis (Sergi López) and his son, Esteban (Bruno Núñez Arjona), who arrive at a rave in Morocco to find Luis’ missing daughter. When a group of ravers tells Luis that his daughter might be at the next rave they plan on going to, he and his son decide to follow the ravers in the hopes of finding and reuniting with her. Luis, Esteban, and the ravers develop a close bond with each other as they drive across the Moroccan desert. However, their wholesome companionship begins to crumble when members of their party suddenly and brutally die along their road trip.
Sirāt has a very straightforward premise, to the point that, despite being almost 2 hours long, it is surprisingly light on plot and character development. The film avoids delving into any of the characters’ backstories or motivations beyond what is outwardly stated (i.e. Luis looking for his missing daughter), instead focusing on the moment-to-moment interactions between the characters. It’s very much a style-over-substance approach to this sort of narrative, and while there’s a lot of fun to be had with that, it runs the risk of becoming repetitive. In fact, that monotony becomes an issue in the first half of Sirāt: while I was never bored while watching, I couldn’t help but notice that it felt like I was experiencing the same scene over and over again. Yet at the same time, it felt very much like an intentional choice by Laxe to lull the audience into a false sense of security.
By having the first half filled with scenes of characters talking and laughing with each other as they listen to EDM music, Laxe tricks the audience into thinking that this is what the rest of the movie will be. Therefore, when the first major death occurs halfway through the film, it filling the first half with scenes of characters talking and laughing as they listen to EDM, Laxe tricks the audience into thinking this is what the rest of the movie will be like a genuine shock that comes out of nowhere, shattering the illusion of safety that seemed invulnerable in the first half. With the threat of death looming over all the characters’ heads, I became much more attentive to Sirāt and what was happening throughout the film. Yet despite being locked in, I still was not prepared for the brutal and horrifying deaths that occurred to several more characters. This is one of the few films I’ve seen this year that genuinely surprised me, and that alone is a fantastic accomplishment worth celebrating. All the violence and gore throughout Sirāt are effectively coordinated. Still, it’s important to note that they are only effective because I did not see these moments coming.
I can imagine that these feelings of dread and anxiety I had will become muted in repeated viewings, because now that I know when these deaths will take place, those elements of surprise won’t be nearly as effective in a second watch. As strange as it may be for me to compare the two, the issue Sirāt has with future rewatches is similar to that of the Deadpool movies, in which any jokes those films make about pop culture are only funny once because they come completely out of nowhere. If Sirāt had properly fleshed out and developed these characters, the deaths would still have remained impactful, even with the shock factor removed during a second viewing, because my emotional connection to these moments now stems less from surprise and more from tragedy. Knowing that these deaths are right around the corner, I would have to cherish the characters and their interactions with each other as much as possible before their inevitable demise rips them away from me. I would still be fearful of these moments, but now under a different context.
While Sirāt is not an ideal film for repeated viewings, it is nonetheless an incredibly well-made film with elements worth praising. The best aspect of this film is undoubtedly the score and sound design, which isn’t surprising given how integral EDM is to Sirāt. As someone indifferent to this genre of music, I not only quite liked the score but also how it was used within the film’s context. Whenever a rave takes place at the beginning of the film, the diegetic music creates such a pulse-pounding effect, from the characters dancing along to the beat to the ground shaking as the loudspeaker emits sounds, that it almost feels as if I’m there participating with the rest of the characters and extras. One particular scene I adored is one towards the end of the film, in which, after taking a psychoactive drug, the characters dance in the middle of the desert while two loudspeakers blast EDM. Not only does this scene truly allow the score and sound design to flex their muscles, but the way the camera captures these people entering a trance-like state with nothing but music and drugs to keep them going is beautiful to watch.
Additionally, all the performances in this film are great, which is especially impressive considering that, aside from Sergi López and Bruno Núñez Arjona, most of the cast consisted of first-time actors with no professional acting backgrounds or experiences. I could have easily been fooled into thinking they were all industry veterans from their respective countries, because not only do these actors deliver natural performances, but they also have unique looks and physical characteristics that make them feel like genuine members of the EDM and raving communities. This is a film that’s carried by its ensemble cast and their natural chemistry; if there were even a single weak link, the whole movie would have fallen apart. Fortunately, everyone is a natural fit, and while I wish their characters were more fleshed out, the actors all work very well.
Ultimately, there’s a lot to admire about Sirāt from a structural and technical perspective. This is a film that very much needs to be seen on the big screen to capture its raw and cathartic energy. However, if viewing it at home on VOD is your only way to see Sirāt, then I personally suggest watching with a good pair of headphones, as the music and sound design are foundational pillars that make this film as engaging as it is. While I enjoyed this movie overall, I don’t see myself revisiting it anytime soon, as I feel like I got everything out of a first watch. That said, this is a must-watch film I strongly recommend everyone see at least once, and I hope it gets some attention at the Academy Awards next year.
Rating: 7/10