Safe Return Doubtful

Spain, France, Morocco – 2026

It’s taken me almost a week to gather my thoughts after seeing this, which is to its credit immediately. The thing was, that I’m still haven’t quite made my mind up about the way the film heads in its last part.. but enough about that, I don’t review with spoilers. The fact though, that it is quite unpredictable is in itself another recommendation for it, as well that it provides plenty of material for discussion. 

Defying genre labels like few others, this is quite unlike anything out there. Sirāt is an intense and hypnotic film that goes far beyond its basic premise of a father and his young son showing up at a rave in the Moroccan desert looking for their daughter / sister who ran away, though technically she is an adult.

Subversive at every turn, this isn’t a film about why the girl left or family dynamics, but rather something much more profound. The rave is broken up by army and police who shepherd the party goers away from the site. There is danger apparently, though details are vague.. it seems war is about to break out. Father and son team up with a group of ravers who break away from the main group, and head to another desert party where the girl may or may not be, the problem is, that it is in Mauritania, an arduous journey of several days through wild desert and across mountain roads. Techno-dancing and thumping music feature throughout and along with incredible cinematography make for a strangely transfixing spectacle, symbolising how music can bring people together as a theme, that a community can be willing to help one another in times of crisis, but also the theme of guilt that runs through it at the same time.

Artistic dancing there may be, but this is a fiercely suspenseful experience, though how that is actually effected needs to remain an unknown to any potential viewer. 

IMDb score 7 / 10 – My score 9 / 10