Director – Christopher Bickel (The Theta Girl, Bad Girls)
Starring – Adara Starr (Grub, Welcome to Wunderlawn), Mike Amason (House Monster, Seven Deadly Synths), and Joshua R. Outzen (Death Alley, Sea Critter)
Release Date – 2024
Rating – 4/5
Several years back I befriended director Christopher Bickley while he was promoting his film Bad Girls. I had heard of him prior to this when several friends of mine picked up his previous film The Theta Girl. I was already interested in his work by this point so I reached out to him for info on Bad Girls for the site. Eventually, I was able to get a review link after speaking with him for sometime. I loved the film and immediately sought out a copy of The Theta Girl on blu to follow it up with. I absolutely loved both films and looked forward to his next project.
Sadly, after a few years and hundreds of friend requests on social media, I was no longer seeing posts from Bickel and missed out on any news he was sharing. That changed recently when he reached out to me to review his newest film Pater Noster and the Mission of Light. The artwork immediately sold me on the film and I quickly worked it into my October horror binge. I want to take a moment to thank Christopher for sending this one over.
**Spoiler alert** The film follows a vinyl collector that works at a music store when she receives a tip that could land her a super rare album worth thousands made by a cult back in the 70s. She receives a strange call one day after visiting a thrift store with connections to the cult asking if she would like to visit their commune. She agrees and takes a few friends of hers with her. Their visit starts out innocently enough where the group explore the compound and learn a bit of their history. However, when members of their group turn up missing they realize that something sinister is at play. **Spoiler Alert**
It’s already October and I’ve seen some amazing indie horror films this year. Movies like Psycho Ape II, Frankie Freako, Death Streamer, Crackcoon, Screamwalkers, and several more. However, as amazing as these films are, Pater Noster and the Mission of Light is probably my favorite indie horror film of the year and it is most definitely making it among my top 5 films of the year.
The acting in this one is great and consistent. The entire cast pulls their own weight and delivers memorable performances. The characters are well written and the cast goes all in to bring them to the screen. With that being said, there was a few scenes where the dialogue is a bit stiff and awkwardly delivered. It doesn’t take away from the overall film but it did mess with the pacing some.
The story for this one is what’s been missing in modern horror. I absolutely fucking adore films centered around cults and don’t get to enjoy that many films about them. Modern horror doesn’t approach cults and witches as much as I would like but Pater Noster and the Mission of Light was able to take a sub-genre that doesn’t get the attention it truly deserves and brings it into the modern era by combining it with the trend in recent years to collect old and obscure vinyl. This works exceptionally well especially when you consider the amount of hippie cults that turned to music and other forms of art to cover costs in the 70s. The film has great pacing even with the few awkward scenes and, while it is a bit predictable, it is still a fun ride.
Finally, the film doesn’t shy away from the red stuff. We get a lot of blood and some great practical effects. While the kills are not that imaginative, they fit the film very well and look amazing. The gnarliest of horror fans will truly appreciate the bloodbath we get with this one. Overall, Pater Noster and the Mission of Light is a must see for genre fans. It’s bloody and violent with a great cast and story. I cannot recommend this movie enough so check it out!
