Project Dorothy review.
An evil AI sets its sights on the world in Project Dorothy. A locked door thriller where the antagonist controls the locks.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Project Dorothy
Directed by George Henry Horton
Written by George Henry Horton and Ryan Scaringe
Starring Tim DeZarn, Adam Budron, George Henry Horton, Emily Rafala, Olicia Scott and Danielle Harris
Project Dorothy Review
It’s been over fifty years since HAL 9000 showed movie goers the dangers of AI. Today our AI worries may be more wrapped in forcing actors to work beyond their deaths and creating alien looking background characters…but the larger fear remains. Skynet becomes aware. The Red Queen slaughters everyone. Dorothy plots world domination. That last one is, quite obviously, from Project Dorothy. Voiced by Danielle Harris…Dorothy is in full control of its little world. A pre-internet artificial intelligence…the scientific facility that houses her is as far as its grasp can reach.
That is until two men hole up in the facility after a failed robbery. All that James (Tim DeZarn) and Blake (Adam Budron) managed to get away with is a laptop. A laptop that holds the key to Dorothy’s endgame. Set sometime in the past, Project Dorothy walks a new piece of technology into the AI’s lap. A Wi-Fi dongle that would allow it to gain infinite knowledge…and to go anywhere.
Dorothy studies the two men for a while before making her presence known. The real fun begins once Harris’s AI is in the mix. So dangerous is the sentient AI that its creator tries to burn down the building. Anything to prevent it from spreading throughout the world. We learn this from video logs left behind in the seemingly empty building.
James and Blake quickly figure out that they’re better off finding a new hideout…but it’s already too late. Dorothy has locked down the facility. Trapped inside the facility and unwilling to give Dorothy what it wants…the two men must find a way to survive…and escape. Despite the AI’s control over the situation…James realizes that the dongle gives them leverage over the sentient intelligence.
For a movie like Project Dorothy to work…it needs strong actors. Most of the movie is spent with James and Blake wandering around the large, empty facility…trying to avoid danger. DeZarn and Budron are very good. James is the older of the two…a veteran of the game who tries to be a mentor for the hotter-headed, younger Blake. Blake’s wants his payday. James is quicker to recognize the dangers that Dorothy represents. Harris makes a meal out of her role as the deadly artificial intelligence.
Director George Henry Horton does an excellent job showing off the space of the facility. More importantly, he doesn’t fill the movie with fat just to pad out the runtime. Project Dorothy is a sleek 75-minute piece of tech horror that doesn’t waste any time. It presents two interesting characters and then forces them to face off with a third, unseen entity.
Tech horror has become commonplace in modern film for obvious reasons. Project Dorothy is an interesting piece of work. It’s minimalist by necessity…and wisely performance based for the same reason. Its antagonist is a great one. Harris kills the role and really brings Dorothy to life. DeZarn carries most of the heavier moments with ease…a grizzled vet of the criminal game confronted by something more dangerous than the police he’s on the run from.
Project Dorothy makes smart use of its location and performers. Wisely, it opts for a fast-paced battle of wits over a drawn-out story. Dorothy makes clear why she can never be allowed to leave the facility. James’s ability to understand this gives the pair an advantage that the AI can’t fully anticipate. If they can survive the AI operated forklifts…they might just have a chance to save the future. Whether they’ll be a part of it or not.
Scare Value
Director George Henry Horton expertly utilizes the space of the film’s location. Danielle Harris excels as the evil AI with plans for global expansion. DeZarn and Budron make a fine pair of thieves who find themselves unexpected protectors of the world. Once Dorothy comes online…Project Dorothy really takes off.
3/5
