It’s easy to lose yourself in the rhythm of great music. That pull – so central to rave culture (alongside a few less legal influences) – offers an escape from everyday life, a chance to dissolve into the dance and the crowd around you. But what happens when that urge to get lost leads somewhere far darker, a desolate, unforgiving landscape at the edge of despair? It’s this journey, this “path,” that forms the spiritual core of Sirat.
Oliver Laxe’s Sirat is an immersive bass-boosted experience that leaves you with more questions than answers, but when the journey is this unforgettable it’s hard not to feel its impact. Nominated for Best Foreign Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards, Sirat follows a father and son looking for their missing daughter/sister at a rave in the Moroccan desert.
When the party is abruptly shut down by a military incursion sparked by an unfolding global conflict, they hear rumours of another rave deep in the desert, one where their missing loved one might be. Joining a tight-knit group of ravers, they set out across an unforgiving landscape, embarking on a hellish journey that becomes an intense exploration of grief, loss, and spirituality.
The film itself offers insight into its title: Sirat translates from Arabic as “the path,” referring in Islamic tradition to a sacred bridge over Hell, thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword. The righteous pass safely across it, while others fall. Laxe uses this concept as a spiritual anchor, signalling a film with deep thematic resonance. While I won’t attempt to fully unpack its religious significance, the film provides a rich, theatrical experience. A journey into the heart of darkness not for the faint of heart, but truly immersive for those willing to follow it.
I recommend going into this one completely blind. Immediately, Sirat blasts you with a thumping EDM score and a dust covered setting that complement each other brilliantly. Grainy, textured cinematography combined with the pounding soundtrack as bulky trucks traverse the rugged terrain gives the viewer a visceral sense of presence. Add in a cast largely composed of real-life ravers, and it feels as though you are traveling alongside them through the harsh desert landscape. It’s one of the most immersive viewing experiences I’ve had in a long time.
As the characters travel deeper into the desert, the film subtly begins to creep towards its bleak climax. Oliver Laxe cleverly lulls the audience into a false sense of security throughout, subtly building anxiety and dread before the worst thing imaginable happens. The result is a pulse-pounding ride reminiscent of the anxious intensity of Friedkin’s Sorcerer (1977) intertwined with the electronic chaos of Noé’s Climax (2018). It’s a film that I can see being very overwhelming for some. Many critics argue the film relies on shock over substance with no real purpose, but sometimes the journey is more important than the destination.
Ultimately, Sirat is an unforgettable descent into a desert of despair. It’s an intense, immersive experience that prioritises spiritual and thematic depth over conventional storytelling. If you’re looking for deeply impactful world cinema that challenges conventions and demands engagement, set to a relentless electronic pulse, then give this one a watch. If you’re of a nervous disposition, I’d maybe give this one a miss.
