PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I’ve been following Christopher Bickel’s film work since he released his first feature The Theta Girl. I’ve been excited for Christopher’s latest film Pater Noster and the Mission of Light and have been keeping my eye on updates. Recently Pater Noster and the Mission of Light had its premiere and I reached out to Christopher Bickel for a screener. He was happy to oblige and I’m happy to say Pater Noster and the Mission of Light surpassed all my expectations.
Synopsis
Max, a young record store clerk stumbles upon a rare vinyl LP and is drawn into the world of a 1970s hippie commune. An invitation to the remnants of the cult and its unholy spawn leads to grave circumstances for Max and her friends.
Pater Noster and the Mission of Light was written and directed by Christopher Bickel (The Theta Girl, Bad Girls). The film stars Adara Starr (Gaskin: The Roper Woods Killer), Mike Amason (Bae Wolf), Joshua R. Outzen (Death Alley), Sanethia Dresh (Bad Girls), Morgan Shaley Renew (Bad Girls), Shelby Lois Guinne (Bad Girls), and Tim Cappello (The Lost Boys).
If it wasn’t obvious, I really enjoyed Pater Noster and the Mission of Light. The film mixes extreme gore, hippie cults, magick, record collecting and music culture to glorious effect. It is, at turns, trippy and hallucinatory and disturbing and gory. The film quickly draws you in with it’s laid back atmosphere before shoving you into the nightmarish reality of what’s really going on.
I genuinely liked the main characters here. Max is our lead, a record store employee and avid record collector. She has a competitive and slightly antagonistic relationship with her boss Sam. Her coworker Gretchen is fairly laid back and bubbly and appears to have a think for a blackened thrash drummer Jay Sin, who is obsessed with Pater Noster. Max lives with her roommate Abby, an ex who clearly still has feelings for her. After collecting most of the Pater Noster records, Max receives a call from the cult, who invite her and her friends for a visit. When they arrive it’s quickly evident that things are very wrong.
The film really hits its stride when the crew makes it to the commune. Christopher Bickel makes you invested in the characters just to throw them into a nightmarish situation they may not survive. The death scenes here are extremely gory and more than a little disturbing. The final act has an apocalyptic vibe that is extremely disorienting, unnerving and oppressive.
Final Thoughts
Pater Noster and the Mission of Light is an excellent indie horror film that mixes artsiness with disturbing imagery and extreme gore. The film is an absolute blast and I highly recommend it.
