Oliver Laxe’s latest film, a Cannes award-winner, begins with a compelling premise but ultimately loses its way in a baffling and frustrating narrative. The story follows Luis, a man searching the Moroccan desert for his missing adult daughter, Mar. Accompanied by his young son and their dog, he approaches a remote desert rave, desperately handing out photos of Mar to the partygoers.
The initial scenes are visually striking, capturing the stark beauty of the landscape and the ambiguous energy of the rave, where revellers appear both ecstatic and lost. Luis’s desperate quest leads him to follow a group of defiant partygoers after the gathering is dispersed by the military. He clings to the hope that they might hold a clue to his daughter’s whereabouts.
However, the film’s promising setup soon unravels. A pivotal, tragic event occurs with little emotional resonance, feeling more contrived than profound. As the characters venture deeper into the desert, the narrative dissolves into a series of surreal and increasingly absurd sequences, including explosions that come across as more comical than dramatic. The characters’ subsequent descent into drug use and dancing fails to provide any meaningful insight or catharsis.
While the cinematography remains impressive and the lead performance provides some grounding, the film as a whole feels like a mirage—initially captivating but ultimately empty. It raises intriguing questions about a parent’s right to search for an adult child who may not wish to be found, but these themes are abandoned in favor of a spectacle that leads nowhere. The final impression is one of a journey that promised depth but delivered only confusion.
