Petra is one of Christian music's most iconic and recognizable rock bands. If there were to be a Christian equivalent to rock group Journey, it would be Petra. The band's sound was as big as their style, and everything about them overflows with the cheesy goodness of the 1980s. Their most popular album, arguably, was 1990's Beyond Belief. They released a short film with that album that told a story interwoven with music videos.
The band's now releasing a full-length film of the same name. While not a remake of that short film, it's woven with many of the same themes that drive the bulk of their music. Aspiring Christian musician Andy (Carson Lueders) enters a marathon after hearing what he believes is the voice of God, while also trying to make it work with his rock band, all while coping with his father's loss.
Despite a lot of the typical Christian film tropes making an appearance in the film, there's actually quite a lot going on that's unique and interesting. If there's one fault, it's that the film tries to do a bit too much, so many of the central conflicts don't get the breathing room they need. Andy's mother's struggles to keep his father's church from going into foreclosure, Andy's training for a 26-mile marathon despite having no athletic experience, and Andy's sometimes tumultuous relationship with his bandmates and their driven aspiring rock band? These are all worthwhile conflicts, and while the film ultimately weaves them together somewhat, it often feels like a few different movies are competing for attention.
The film's world feels like something out of a Petra music video. Petra songs pepper the soundtrack throughout. Fans will get a big rush anytime they hear one of the band's iconic hooks start playing, although some inclusions serve the scenes they are featured in better than others. Sometimes things feel a bit too Petra-centric. In this world, you'd think Petra was the biggest band in the world. Their vinyls dominate a store's record display. Their arenas are massive. And when they start the film's central battle of the bands competition, you'd think they were as popular as The Beatles. They even have a Petra Forever video game featured that the main character plays. (Complete with an eight-bit remix of one of their songs.)
The film's 1980s aesthetic doesn't get too intrusive, but it does feature the requisite big hair. And despite the real-life stigma that often comes with Christian music (particularly in its adolescent days in the 1980s), there isn't even a hint of antagonism toward Christian music in this film's setting. Christian rock is both legit cool in society and also respected by the older Church crowd. In fact, despite the criticisms Andy faces from authority figures in his life, he receives nothing but support from his family on his Christian rock aspirations. All of this makes for a fun Petra-centric experience, but it definitely gives the film a bit of a "fable" vibe. Valuable life lessons to teach, but with flourishes that remind you that you're watching a film, and one designed to promote the band. (An extremely talented band that has legitimately earned the title of legendary, mind you.)
Performance-wise, the film is fine. I do wish the supporting characters were given a bit more depth, as it feels Andy, as the main character, is the only one allowed to have some layers to him. For example, his tensions with his bandmates could be better developed. While there's legitimate beef to be had with him given his behavior sometimes, others just feel like the film is playing up tension for the sake of tension. And in either case, only to give it a wave-away resolution a scene or two later.
Some of the film's other personal conflicts similarly feel like they are more "tell" rather than "show" in their rise and fall. Musically, Andy's band's original songs are actually fairly catchy. While some of the lyrics felt a bit on-the-nose, that's also something that feels time-period accurate for some Christian music of the day. I could actually see several of those being hits alongside bands like Petra back then. A fictionalized version of the band does appear in the film, along with a hilarious cameo from real-life members John Schlitt and Bob Hartman that takes a shot at people who criticize Christian rock.
Overall, fans of Petra will enjoy the film. It's legitimately fun. The heavy Petra "product placement" might limit the appeal of the film beyond the band's fanbase. Which, to be fair, is likely fine. The film is partially a love letter to 1980s Christian rock, albeit a heavily idealized version of it. While modern music biopics have leaned into the behind-the-scenes conflicts with record labels and the struggles of making as a band, this film is more concerned with a different message. That said, given Andy's own grief, I would have liked to see a little more focus on songwriting. This angle could've benefitted from leaning into the grief and pain that often bears such rich musical fruit. Heck, given the rich stories behind the lives of the band members themselves, I'd be interested in watching a film about the real-life Petra. But at the end of the day, this is still a fun Petra-inspired film. And it's a fun inclusion in the band's recent resurgence.
