Evolution moves at a glacial pace, but in the pilot episode of RZR, David Bianchi plays a man who has discovered the key to humanity’s next step. Grimm (David Bianchi) is a scientist working out of a clandestine laboratory in a dystopian Los Angeles. Obsessed with progressing human evolution, he volunteers to be the subject of his own experiment. Alone in the lab and observed by his assistant on a monitor, Grimm initiates the procedure. Yet, the pain is so intense that he aborts the process just before its completion.
Months later, Grimm is experiencing massive headaches. His close friends are concerned that his obsession will ultimately kill him. But one night, during a liquor store robbery, something is activated, giving him the strength and acuity to easily stop the assailant.
I’ve had the honor of reviewing filmmaker David Bianchi’s work in the past. Many of his short films were spoken word pieces about the black experience and racism in America. RZR is his first foray into narrative fiction.

“…a man who has discovered the key to humanity’s next step.”
The pilot episode of RZR is incredibly tight, which is essential for an indie pilot to feel like a big-budget production. Grimm’s laboratory is sparse, considering it’s an empty room with a monitor and a creepy AF lab chair. Lighting and camera placement give the right feeling that this is a dangerous make-shift lab. RZR also makes good use of CG effects for visor displays and an effective use of drones.
At the heart is the story of a man obsessed with being at the forefront of human evolution. Bianchi portrays Grimm as driven by a dream and persistently examining his failures to find that one last puzzle piece.
As a pilot episode, RZR effectively creates a dark world and places the spotlight on Grimm as a promising yet obsessed protagonist. The end of the episode teases the series’ direction just enough to excite me about what is to come.
For screening information on RZR, visit the Gala Films website.