UPGRADE review

(Reviewed by Melody Werner)
Upgrade is a 2018 sci-fi thriller directed by Leigh Whannell (Saw, Insidious), starring Logan Marshall Green and Simon Maiden. It was released by OTL and produced by Blumhouse. I've been eager to review this movie since I saw it, but keep getting sidetracked. Why the eagerness? Because this is basically Robocop by way of Black Mirror and as such, is fucking brilliant.

Whannell is known for his work on Saw, but really proves his solo work without James Wan can be exceptional here. Upgrade may have been done on a budget, but this guy knows how to hew a film into a polished state. Never does Upgrade feel hindered by its comparatively tiny budget of $3-5 million. Though not a horror movie (and shame on iMDB for listing it as such), Upgrade's fight scenes bring the type of brutality one might associate with a latter Saw film as Marshall Green's character eviscerates opponents with deft cuts, only missing the mark by a hair with a minor amount of spring that is a bit jarring. In other words: it's a fuckin' sight to behold, though not for the faint of heart. However, these sequences do not make up the majority of Upgrade and only come in spurts that are clearly telegraphed, so don't miss out on this if you're squeamish but still wanna see a good sci-fi flick. It is that. The performances are fantastic, with Marshall Green elevating his character from the typical White Dude Who Had His Thing Taken to one you can empathize with as he's taken on this wild ride. The musical score is exceptional and worth listening to outside of the film. I'm by no means a huge cinematography buff, but even I noticed that this had flair in that department.

What starts off looking like your average revenge film in a near future setting slowly turns into something... else, as the Black Mirror comparison begins setting in. Our protagonist is not the god of violence you would normally see helming a revenge narrative, he's just a guy who agreed to cybernetic enhancements which do everything for him--even things he might not cosign onto. This is a phenomenal dynamic I don't want to go too much more into, for fear of ruining the fun of seeing things unfold for yourself. The pacing is lightning fast, yet by the end of it, I was fully satisfied so it isn't so swiftly paced that it's rushing through proceedings. The dialogue is tight. There is some light comedy to provide levity, and it works without weighing down the more sober moments.

As for issues, there are a few characters that are a touch underdeveloped and I wish there was a little more time to establish his relationship at the beginning of the film. That said, when that moment in every revenge flick comes and the lead character has his legs taken out from under him, it is executed with such conviction that it kept me at the edge of my seat. Upgrade also lacks the satirical edge and thematic power of its betters and some inferiors, going for a slightly more Hitchcockian/pure thriller approach (which works, but it would've worked better with more going on under the hood in this respect). Of course, maybe I'm missing Upgrade's deeper themes, so take that into consideration. So it isn't perfect, and in some areas mentioned before, it may not be peerless, but this is a film I adored and can easily see getting even better upon repeat viewings. It's the type to plant seeds which later bear important plot elements.

Upgrade is a film with no dearth of depth. It might have been met with somewhat mixed critical reception, but I believe this is the kinda movie that will be granted more recognition upon reappraisal. For magnificent sci-fi you don't so often see in modern films not sporting the name of Blomkamp (ixnay on the Chappie, eh), see this. 2018's Upgrade gets a 9.5/10.

Must-see

Summary:
Sheer, awesome genius. A masterful story, technical sheen, nigh god-tier action, a great main character, and top-notch performances make Upgrade well worth checking out. This is the quality we ought to have expected from every Robocop film after the first but didn't get until films like Elysium. Except I think this is even better than Elysium and maybe almost meets the original Robocop blow for blow in a few areas.