THE GIST

The words I want to use for a brief review all give away the best parts of this film.

Go in with knowing as little as possible.

You really have to see it to believe it.

7.5/10

THE REVIEW

NO SPOILERS

EXPECTATIONS

Sentimental Value has been the only foreign film that has peaked my interest this year. No, I lie, “No Other Choice” was a great movie, shame on me. But “The Secret Agent” and “It Was Just An Accident” were underwhelming for me, I seem to be in the minority on that one. So I was not getting my hopes up for Sirat, but reviews have been positive and apparently the last 30m would have me on the edge of my seat.

CONTEXT

Sirāt (2025) came to be as a deeply personal, "visceral" project directed by Óliver Laxe, born from a desire to explore the intersection of spirituality, rave culture, and the "inner path" of human existence. The film, which won the Jury Prize at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, was developed to be a "hypnotic" and "sensorial" experience, combining a narrative of a father searching for his daughter in the Moroccan desert with a profound, almost mystical, journey.

THE PLOT

Luis is traveling through southern Morocco with his son, Esteban. They're searching for his daughter, who has been missing for five months, last seen at a dance festival in the desert. As the pair travel from party to party, they hear of a semi-mythical rave near the border of Mauritania. Descending into the scorched terrain as a not-so-distant global conflict encroaches, Luis and Esteban are soon drawn into a primal landscape in which they must walk a tightrope between heaven and hell.

THE EXPERIENCE

This film blew me away. I still can’t stop thinking about it a day later. One of the posters has an excerpt that reads: “A truly staggering and major film, one that has to be seen to be believed” written by the actor David Jenkins. Reading this before seeing it made me think this was someone close with the director trying to help them sell the film. I was wrong. It’s a perfect way to describe it.

The majority of the film drew me in to the world and the characters, and the last 30-40mins had me in shock and disbelief at what was happening.

THE MEAT

The director: I wanted to watch some of Oliver Laxe’s previous works leading up to this, but they are hard to find. I can’t help but feeling though that this will be the film to get him the recognition for a lot more funding for his future projects and have A-list actors flocking to work with him.
The music: Because of the subject matter, the rave music drove this movie throughout and really worked even though I am not a fan of the genre. I love directors who use music to drive their films like PTA and Tarantino, I may be adding Oliver Laxe to my list.
The characters: Yes it is the story of a father and son in search of their daughter in the African desert. But the characters they interact with are people searching for meaning in a meaningless environment doing meaningless things to trying to achieve it. Their purpose is to seemingly have none. Driving across the vast nothingness of the desert to go to another rave. Listening to music that needs one to take mind altering drugs in order to hear how brilliant it is. These characters are filthy, more so than the characters in Hamnet, you can almost smell the patchouli through the screen. There is a sadness and hopelessness to them and their chosen path. Not everyone can withstand the daily grind of life and need to search for higher purpose instead, I agree with that, but the way they go about it is dubious to say the least. I have not seen any of these actors before but their is authenticity in all of their performances.
The story: What seemed like about a quarter of the way through the movie, the title appeared, and I was like, oh ok, that threw me a bit. While the first two thirds of the film are kind of a slow burn style get to know the environment and characters, it works well, I was always drawn in and invested and you need to be for what comes in the final third of the film.
A certain scene: There is a certain shocking moment in the film where some of the shock value is taken away because of what someone says is coincidentally the same thing that is about to happen to them. The moment was still shocking but it just irked me. Just thinking back now though, when the person says the word, I realised what was about to happen and my heart sank just thinking about it. Then the abrupt event actually happens which kinda floored me. Maybe that is what it was trying to do? I just don’t like insane coincidences in films.
The rating: This film is rated M in New Zealand so I was wondering how it was going to be so scary but it was. I haven’t been so shocked since seeing a child eat a kitchen knife in 2025’s Bring Her Back. The way Sirat is done makes it so gut wrenching. I was holding my hand over my chest in a state of disbelief for the last 30 minutes. Bravo. Very well done.
The end: Not sure I liked the way it ended. But it fits the film.

SUMMARY

I always want a film to catch me off guard and this one certainly does.

I can guarantee it will do the same to you.

Go and see it on the big screen.

7.5/10