'Sirāt' review: The desert doesn't techno prisoners

Cinema Mondo

Are people raving about this one? We're taking a nice little trip to the desert in order to feel the vibrations of Sirāt (same title used in Spain)—although even some of its distributors confoundingly misspell or retitle it as "Sirât", stripping away its relation to the Arabic word, which by the way you should look up only after you've seen the film. Anyhoo, we touch down in southern Morocco. Luis (Sergi López) arrives at a rave along with his young son Esteban (Bruno Núñez Arjona) and their dog Pipa, having travelled from Spain to search for his other human child, Esteban's sister Mar, who they haven't heard from in a long time.

The dynamic duo distribute photos of her as EDM tunes rage on, before the party is shut down by the Moroccan army who order everyone to evacuate. Still looking for answers, Esteban, Luis and Pipa decide to follow a caravan that disobeys orders and drive into the desert towards another rave they've heard about. Together with this ragtag group of partygoers that consists of Bigui (Richard Bellamy), Jade (Jade Oukid), Josh (Joshua Liam Henderson), Stef (Stefania Gadda), Tonin (Tonin Janvier) and dog Lupita, they encounter trials and tribulations.

Right from the get-go, after the speakers have been set up and generators are running, director Oliver Laxe is letting the music set the pace initially. This is both figuratively and literally, since the typical tempo of dance music is around our normal or elevated heartbeat. Very little dialogue is needed as the helmer and cinematographer Mauro Herce mostly use visual storytelling to lure you in, making this rave a source of escapism for the souls that move through it, whereas Esteban and Luis are the only ones actively searching for something. It's immediately a tale of runaways and pursuers at odds with each other, a game of hide-and-seek underscored by sounds you're supposed to lose yourself in. Lose yourself in the music and the moment, never let it go.

Speaking of, the needle drops and composer Kangding Ray's score do a hell of a job guiding you through this odyssey. We start with minimal and ambient techno with faster BPMs that is supposed to overwhelm the characters, and also us the viewers. The sun sets and rises, and the temperature and tempos drop together in harmony, before they rise again. Nevertheless, you're immersed in it. Everything starts off rapturous and once the landscapes have swallowed our main gang, there's an aura of serenity to the chords and melodies. When a tragedy occurs, the melodies unravel and kick drums disappear, emphasising how there can be no proper heartbeat when a character's heart is utterly broken. Ray's score is pure ambient music by this point and the desert turns into a hellscape, until a swirling melody calls characters towards it, perhaps offering a way out of this nightmare.

Sirāt's aural tricks are in conversation with the thought-provoking screenplay, penned by Laxe and co-writer Santiago Fillol. First and foremost, the film works fine as a drama about a family missing a piece. Then the story takes a left turn—again, both figuratively and literally because the crew disobeys the orders by driving left—and it becomes a road movie with a flimsy found family setup. Eventually, you're on the edge of your seat because its final form in the second half is a riveting survival thriller and there are moments and sequences you won't forget.

You get a memorable, gripping adventure in general, yet there's plenty of undertones to mine for those who wish to do so. It's not really as coherent about spiritual aspects as it thinks it is, but one can easily identify notions about self-centred white people, Spaniards in particular in this part of the world, just taking and not giving, choosing not to see suffering and ripple effects of colonisation until they themselves are in harm's way. These things are also tied to pollution, resources like oil as well as erosion, and how these things shape the environment and climate change. At some point, nature will always bite back, even though in most cases the immediate impact is only felt by the locals and not ignorant tourists.

It helps a ton that Laxe directs the script with aplomb. The series of triumphs begins with brilliant casting; these are unconventional and compelling faces (and bodies) that draw you into this world and situation instantly, and the performances are also solid throughout. Plus, the dog actors pull their weight as well. The visuals are arresting, from the night scenes at the rave to the footage of the cars pushing forward, whilst the grain and blowing winds add texture to the picture. Most of all, the tension is relentless when horrific things start happening. Amplified by strong sound work (supervised by Laia Casanovas), SFX (supervised by Benjamin Ageorges, Lluís Rivera and Pep Claret) and VFX, every crack in the road and every step taken is a possible threat. Viewers will gasp and jump. You will be startled.

However, the movie's ambition doesn't necessarily come without flaws. Some people will admittedly feel as if it's too cruel and shocking for shock's sake, and that is completely understandable even for someone who was affected by the twists and turns. There are scenes that go on for too long and meander as editor Cristóbal Fernández and Laxe lose the tempo set by the dance music, especially in the aforementioned moments that try to reach for spiritual and abstract ideas. Even López's performance is less effective in those scenes.

Yet, when the sun rises again in the desert, Sirāt is undoubtedly one of the most stimulating and indelible cinematic experiences in recent memory. It'll be a hard one to shake off. That said, seeing is believing.

Smileys: Casting, score, story, directing

Frowneys: Pacing

No, Darude's 'Sandstorm' is not one of the needle drops. I know you were dying to know.

4.5/5

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