Wild and unruly, Sirat is one of the most intense experiences of the year.

In Sirat, Luis (Sergi Lopez) and his son, Esteban are on a mission. Stepping deep into the Moroccan desert, they arrive at a rave as they search for their daughter (and sister), Mar. Having disappeared months ago, Mar’s family have exhausted themselves in their quest to find her and, amidst the pounding sounds of electronic music, Luis is beginning to lose hope. However, when a group a ravers set out to attend one last party in the desert, Luis and Esteban insist that they’re coming along as well. But, as their journey takes unexpected twists, the burning heat forces them to confront their own fears and trauma.

Directed by Oliver Laxe, Sirat is a shock to the system, to say the least. Part family drama, part existential examination, the film takes its time with its narrative as it allows the players to embark on a journey unlike any other. Whether they’re dancing in the dust or sharing chocolate bars, every moment feels relevant to the film’s overall purpose.

But it isn’t playing around.

To put it mildly, Sirat may elicit the most guttural reactions from audiences of any film this year. Beginning as simple quest for family, Laxe’s journey into the wilderness shifts tones so dramatically that one cannot help but engage the film emotionally. Featuring sweeping cinematography, Laxe allows his characters and their transportation to feel dwarfed by the massive desert landscapes. Yet amidst the blistering heat of the Moroccan desert, this is a character drama that tends to lose sight of its characters. But, as strange as that may sound, that’s not a bad thing. Every one of these characters matter but, as Laxe pulls back the camera, we understand that this is a film about so much more than their individual journeys.

This is the sort of project that seems to break all the rules of cinema. Stories we’re made to believe are of importance are abandoned. Characters are killed off at random. (Without giving spoilers, even if you think you can guess who will survive to the film’s finale, you likely cannot.) But, while other films would be flawed for this approach, its willingness to tear down our expectations of storytelling actually somehow increases its effectiveness. Caught between heaven and hell, Sirat knows that there’s an unpredictability to this world and it’s willing to expose it with reckless abandon.

In this way, Sirat asks questions about the meaning of life in the midst of desolation and trauma. And it isn’t entirely sure of the answers either. With these characters embroiled in the midst of chaos, one cannot help but feel the randomness to life. Blistering in the dry heat, we feel the struggle that Luis, Esteban and the rest are experiencing as they attempt to carefully step through the madness for their own survival.

In fact, it’s possible that Lopez believes that the only response is to dance.

Featuring a pounding baseline soundtrack that is easily one of the year’s best, Sirat uses dance as a method of dealing with their own pain. Here, their experience of the rave feels like a political act. With every heavy beat, one cannot help but empathize for these characters are beaten down themselves. Even so, in a world where everything has gone wrong, they also have little recourse to fight back. But, when they dance, they are free. (Well, maybe.) There’s a fury on their dusty dancefloor that brings life to their souls, even in the worst of circumstances.

And it’s that tension between life and death that fuels Sirat. Laxe’s willingness to eat away at our comfort zones never allows us to gain a footing in this world. Sirat knows that death is inevitable but also unpredictable. (“You never know if it’s the last sound you make,” we’re told.) However, it still believes that there are moments that matter. Moments that give life.

And moments that define us.

In that sense, Sirat could be considered a dark experience by some. Yet the film is more than a bloodbath. Instead, it’s trying to find life in the desert of despair, even when hope seems to have dried up.

Sirat is available in theatres on February 13th, 2025.