"Sirat" is an Arabic word for road or path, and, appropriately enough, this is a director with a firm notion of where he is going and what he wants to tell us along the way.

There is plenty to appreciate in Laxe’s film, which wrestles aggressively with ideas of grief and catharsis. Unfortunately, the intensity he brings when telling Luis’s story ultimately undoes the film, hammering in these themes with punishing insistence.

The cast of mostly first-time actors is unforgettable, each face elemental in its own way, and it’s wonderful to see López in a sympathetic role.

Redundant at best and brazenly poseur-philosopher at worst. Its images and dialogue suggest depth without ever showing us. It feels mean-spirited, naïve, and pointless.