It’s fitting that David Bianchi and Daniel J. Pico’s “Cyber Protocol”—a sci-fi/indie thriller—releases in an era where AI and dependence on computers in our society are at their peak. The feature film, releasing on Tuesday, November 10th, is a bleak, dystopian film. It takes place in a world (Los Angeles) after a global-changing war. Here, paper currency is dead, gangs run the streets, and all the parts that make us human—the skills, the personalities, and the knowledge—are sold to the hackers who can afford it. Of all of these, one underworld hacker who goes by “RZR” (David Bianchi) has a risky proposition to gain the upper hand against a tyrannical society. His plan is simple yet deadly. He needs to find a way to surgically implant a ‘seed’ into his brain that will allow him to receive and execute data instantaneously and topple regimes.
Produced by Exertion Films, “Cyber Protocol” is Bianchi’s first lead role, and he excels in the part of Marcus Grimm/RZR. I’ve covered Bianchi before, and this is the most immersive I’ve seen him. His Grimm uses a deep, throaty voice and wants to topple regimes and end injustice. Grimm has a backstory: he was a soldier in the last war and hates violence, though he’s often forced to resort to it. He operates in an underground lab of terminals, voice-activated AI (Kelly Kristin supplies the voice), and a robot surgery machine. The look of the place is dark and foreboding. Cinematographer Matthew Palxco creates a labyrinthine, industrial grime with his photography. This is one of “Cyber Protocol’s” strengths. Despite its limited budget, it’s one of the subtlest, most believable dystopias I’ve seen represented.
Dystopias and Code-driven Worlds
What this means is that Palxco’s L.A.—rather than be basked in California’s fading sun—is ensconced in darkness. Whether it’s Grimm’s hideout, a seedy club run by cybercriminal Cozomo (Setareki Wainiqolo), or futuristic arthouses, we seldom see the sun here. While reminiscent of popular dystopian films (mostly “The Matrix” and “Elysium”), “Cyber Protocol” feels like its own thing. Although it’s Bianchi’s story (Pico and Bianchi co-wrote the screenplay), the actor doesn’t paint Grimm as a hero or martyr. Rather, he offers himself up as a sacrifice to fight the corrupt world he lives in. You could say Grimm is an anarchist—his at-odds approach with world systems and local police attest to this—yet his real cause is human. As he attempts to implant the seed in his head (the initial attempt at this is visually stomach-turning), he suffers. His actions hold a love interest, X, at bay (Mimi Davila) and worry his friend and fellow hacker, Octie (a wonderful Christopher Rodriguez Marquette) about his ultimate safety.
The best parts of “Cyber Protocol” are the ones where X, Grimm, and Octie are on-screen. Their camaraderie is well-written and well-acted by all involved. I liked the gruff, steadfast personality that Bianchi injects into Grimm. He almost becomes a masochist subjecting himself to pain with no real hope of payoff. Still, it’s great fun to watch him fly in the third act as he does his thing. Alongside him, Rodgriguez Marquette is a great asset. I haven’t seen him since “Freddy vs. Jason” (which I’m a sucker for), and his acting here is strong enough that he needs more dialogue-heavy films thrown his way. He’s created an AI girlfriend (a nod to “Her”), yet helps Grimm find solutions to his brain surgery dilemma. And Davila is a sweet, gentle presence. You can really feel her care for Grimm, and she’s a super talented artist as well. The three make a great trio.
Bianchi and Rodriguez Marquette Excel
Yet there are other parts of “Cyber Protocol” I felt less. Mostly, these are the bits involving the savage ‘Land Family’ gang and a questionable cyber cop (Mena Suvari) as they work tangled webs. The gang angle deals with familiar territory we’ve seen before (I’m thinking mostly of “The Raid 2”) of a wizened leader questioned and undermined by a hothead youngster (the former played by Emilio Rivera and the latter played by Richard Cabral). Cabral plays ‘Villa’ and sells drugs on the street while Rivera’s Felix handles things at their hideout. Amidst this, Suvari’s Det. Thompson bends or straight-out breaks the rules to get an effective lead on Grimm. Yet with all three characters, I felt something was missing. Not enough depth is given to their characters. Additionally, I felt their stories take away from the super-hacking grand show Grimm is trying to perfect.
However, some of these criticisms feel like limitations of the film’s budget rather than its vision. Bianchi and Pico need to depict a dystopia without the huge budgets of the many blockbusters that have dabbled in this genre. They accomplish this through crime-ridden streets and the dolor of the world they paint. I also liked the on-screen flashes of data code from time to time, as well as the tap-to-pay way even the criminals transfer funds to each other. That this is the new currency is hammered home in a scene where a druggie is beaten savagely for having the effrontery of showing paper money in public. Bitcoin—or some type of cyber currency—is the new way. In a world where digital is everything (I feel at times Bianchi and Pico are calling out our society that steamrolls over the tangible in favor of artificial connections), data is the new superpower. “I don’t trust people,” Grimm says in one interesting exchange. “I trust code.”
An Indie Cautionary Tale
But still, “Cyber Protocol” is effective in underlining its points. The dialogue is fun and flashy, and especially Bianchi, Wainiqolo, and Rodriguez Marquette are great at immersing us in cyber speak without ever making us feel dumb. The visuals of code—specifically to show us the frantic and brilliant way that Grimm thinks—are well done, and I loved the way that Bianchi immersed himself in the project. Powerful in “You Can’t Hear Me” and solemn in the wonderful “Evergreen,” here he succeeds in trying something new. It’s a great world he and directors Yuri Alves, Christopher Folkens, and Daniel J. Pico have created here, and I’d like to see more of it. And with the film ending on an open note, hopefully “Cyber Protocol” will garner enough interest for a sequel with a bigger budget to really let themes and visuals explode as they properly should.
“Cyber Protocol” hits streaming tomorrow, landing on Amazon Prime and Apple TV nationwide. You can watch the trailer in the window below. You can also learn more about David Bianchi at the following link.
