Maid Droid Origins (2024)

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I watched Maid Droid? Of course you do. Who could forget such an experience? I decided to watch the next film in that series. To the surprise of nobody, it was quite awful. And I do mean that it's MUCH worse than the first film.

Eve (Katie Kay) is the main droid this time. She starts the movie murdering one of her clients, but then runs away and ends up at the home of her creator, Timothy (Bryan Brewer). Timothy finds that he still has some feelings for Eve, which makes things tense with his wife, Belle (Cassie Ghersi).

Where to begin with this one? Writer-director Rich Mallery obviously thought that he's struck on a great idea when he came up with the simple concept for Maid Droid. I wouldn't say that he makes the mistake of over-complicating things here. It's actually the opposite. This is a lesser film than the first, mainly because it's somehow even sillier, adds nothing to the potential lore of the tech creations, and simply forces viewers to spend some time with a less interesting, and less entertaining, main character.

As much as I try not to dismiss people with harsh insults, and as much as I try not to get too personal with my criticisms (with the notable exceptions of those who have made very cynical and lazy trash), one of the biggest problems here is the casting. Kay is disappointingly bland in the lead role, unable to hold the screen and make a surprisingly strong impression in the way that Faith West did in the first film). Brewer is also not very good, but actually ends up being less watchable simply due to being moderately competent and less amusingly clumsy than other actors Mallery has worked with. Ghersi doesn't get to do much with her few onscreen moments, and Fawn Winters is the only cast member who seems to have been given permission to have some fun (although her character will feel a bit tired and overused to anyone who has watched more than their fair share of cheap schlock). 

It's not all the fault of the cast though. They wouldn't be under such scrutiny if Mallery was able to provide enough distractions in other aspects of his film, but he doesn't. Although he avoids making something that should send you straight to sleep, there's nothing here that you'll remember a day after you've finished watching the thing. Trust me, I didn't write this review while the end credits were rolling and I'm kicking myself as I realise that those end credits were the low-budget movie equivalent of a neuralyzer flashing in my face and giving me a strong bout of amnesia. 

Although this is only my second Mallery movie, and although it was a big step down from the last movie I managed to enjoy, I am looking forward to checking out more of his features. He at least knows what he's aiming to present to people, and it's just a shame that he's found his calling a few decades after his titles would be guaranteed easy "second/third choices" for those picking a selection of small-screen trashy treats from their local video rental store.

3/10

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Maid Droid (2023)

I was very recently made aware of the filmography of writer-director Rich Mallery. It would appear that he is carving out a niche for himself making what we could kindly refer to as disposable entertainment for those wanting to spend some time in the company of attractive young women. Because there's a shortage of movies made with that in mind, of course.

Maid Droid is exactly what you think it is. A self-pitying man (Harrison, played by Jose Adam Alvarez) is persuaded by a friend to invest in renting a maid droid. You can hire them for all of your menial tasks, and they will do whatever is asked of them during that rental time. And they're absolutely like a live human woman in every way, as Harrison's friend informs him. And so it is that Harrison ends up with Mako (Faith West) in his home. Mako helps make the arc of the movie all too clear when she turns up in the kind of maid outfit that looks as if it was bought from the nearest branch of Ann Summers. But will things go smoothly for a man falling in lust with a household device?

Before I go any further I must pause to remind people of one important point: Movies should be examined and rated based on what they're aiming to do, not based on how they compare to every other movie in existence. While Maid Droid isn't great, the low budget and some poor performances really work against it, it's not that bad for what it is. Mallery has a simple idea that he stretches out to a bearable 91 minutes, and he knows that West is good enough casting to make up for some of the other shortcomings.

While she's not brilliant, West is the best thing here, and tries her best to portray her droid character realistically without falling into the trap of making herself too stiff and preposterously ignorant of the ways of us humans. Alvarez, on the other hand, sometimes feels more like the character who cannot understand normal behaviour. He's not helped by the script that only wants him to be either horny or morose, but it's a shame that he can't do anything to make a better impression. Kylee Michael does okay as the other main woman integral to the plot, although the focus of Maid Droid always remains the titular maid droid.

This is easy to sneer it, and it's equally easy to completely dismiss. It's not helped by the scenes that effectively bookend the main storyline, nor is it helped by the backstory given to Mako that is teased throughout. It's not terrible though, for the kind of film it is. Those after sexy sexy times may be disappointed, it's actually a very tame film when you consider where it could have gone, but those after some titillation and diverting silliness will find that this delivers just that.

5/10

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