It certainly is still a lot of fun watching machines run amuck, especially when their primary role is to wash the dishes and not kill the postman. The future might be robotic, but don’t let these androids in on the secret as Two (Zoe Purdy) takes on One (Luke Robinson) with the simple challenge of “I can do everything you can do, but better.”
The domestic arena is set and the sparks are about to fly in director Jack Peter Mundy’s low budget Protype. Written by Sam Gurney, this BIG IDEA on a SMALL TIME BUDGET is a sci-fi tale apes more than its fair share of The Terminator as it sheds tears over a dark and depleted future which sees the eerie and flawed human-skinned robots battle over the fate of humanity and not the menial tasks they were designed to do.
Androids taking hostages?!
That’s right, it’s an I, Robot redux - without the Will and the Smith - as two humanoid androids SLAP each other silly while their creator, Roger (James Robertson), soldiers on abusing his wife, Shelley (Danielle Scott), and their two kids. Turns out, Two, who murders just about everyone, only takes orders from Roger and One - in what has to be the highest point of the movie - must take that over-charged appliance out if the rest of the family is going to be safe from the abuse.
You see, in the near future, life-like androids with artificial intelligence have been created to help people with menial household tasks. The prototype, One, created by the aforementioned Roger Marshall and tested by his family, proves to be popular but flawed. Roger, when he is not abusing his family, has been working on a new model, Two, whose improved features show promise of its super-human abilities. 
The problem is that the family is not cohesive and, as tensions rise between Roger and wife Shelley, the androids malfunction and the lives of the whole family are soon in danger of Two's sinister plans. Thankfully, there is a bit of camp weaved into the futuristic mix thanks to some over the top performances. The low budget might bleed into some of the set designs and those obvious eye holes in the androids’ appearance, but it doesn’t ever take us completely out of the movie. After all, people this out of control have no idea creating anything . . .
Co-starring Stephanie Lodge, Andrew Rolfe, and Tom Taplin, Prototype asks a lot of its audience and we, understanding the limitations of small budget films, must forgive and forget as we are reminded of better looking films who took on the subject matter in a more cohesive manner. That doesn’t mean this film lacks vision. No, there is plenty of that as Two plots and schemes against the weaker One. You can't help but get involved in the suspense in this B-minded flick.
Your life is in the hands of a Prototype on April 5 thanks to Left Films.
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: mins
Director: Jack Peter Mundy
Writer: Sam Gurney
Cast: Danielle Scott; Stephanie Lodge; Andrew Rolfe
Genre: Sci-fi
Tagline: An automated help machine has been corrupted in a family home.
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Left Films
Official Site:
Release Date: April 5, 2022 (digital)
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: In the near future, life-like androids with artificial intelligence have been created to help people with menial household tasks. The prototype, One, created by Roger Marshall and tested by his family, proves to be popular but flawed. Roger has been working on a new model, Two, whose improved features show promise of its super-human abilities. As tensions rise between Roger and wife Shelley, the androids malfunction and the lives of the whole family are soon in danger of Two's sinister plans.
