In an era where the entertainment industry regularly cooks up ill-conceived meals in an attempt to feed audiences insatiable appetite for nostalgia, sci-fi action thriller Upgrade marks a rare instance where a confident individual with an understanding of the necessary ingredients seized their chance to enter this storied kitchen and made something special. Writer/director Leigh Whannell (Insidious franchise, Saw I-III) has gifted B-movie fans with a gory, amusing and intelligent throwback to the days when genre movies balanced electric grindhouse thrills with thoughtful social commentary.
While there's plenty of the brutal, cleverly-shot fight scenes that the redband trailer offered up, Upgrade puts a greater emphasis on story than I expected. Whannell turns what could've easily been a straightforward revenge narrative about a widow (Logan Marshall-Green) seeking retribution for his wife's (Melanie Vallejo) murder into a twisty tale that highlights mankind's relationship with technology that could change how you feel about the future of artificial intelligence. Exploring why humans are drawn to technology and the potential hazards that come with new advancements in the field isn't exactly uncharted territory for the sci-fi genre, especially in our current climate where previously unfathomable inventions like facial recognition software, talking computers and drones are already part of our reality, but this commentary is effective enough to help add some narrative weight behind all of the stylized blood-and-guts and smartass one-liners.
Upgrade is a huge triumph for the underserved B-movie market. Action flicks that lack big names and budgets that exceed the GDP of most medium-sized countries don't receive theatrical releases very often anymore, so it's great to see a veteran like Whannell take advantage of this rare opportunity by delivering a thoroughly badass product that seems destined to become a cult favorite. Genre enthusiasts should go see this ASAP before some inconsiderate jabroni spoils the insanity of the carnage and/or the whopper of an ending.
While there's plenty of the brutal, cleverly-shot fight scenes that the redband trailer offered up, Upgrade puts a greater emphasis on story than I expected. Whannell turns what could've easily been a straightforward revenge narrative about a widow (Logan Marshall-Green) seeking retribution for his wife's (Melanie Vallejo) murder into a twisty tale that highlights mankind's relationship with technology that could change how you feel about the future of artificial intelligence. Exploring why humans are drawn to technology and the potential hazards that come with new advancements in the field isn't exactly uncharted territory for the sci-fi genre, especially in our current climate where previously unfathomable inventions like facial recognition software, talking computers and drones are already part of our reality, but this commentary is effective enough to help add some narrative weight behind all of the stylized blood-and-guts and smartass one-liners.
Upgrade is a huge triumph for the underserved B-movie market. Action flicks that lack big names and budgets that exceed the GDP of most medium-sized countries don't receive theatrical releases very often anymore, so it's great to see a veteran like Whannell take advantage of this rare opportunity by delivering a thoroughly badass product that seems destined to become a cult favorite. Genre enthusiasts should go see this ASAP before some inconsiderate jabroni spoils the insanity of the carnage and/or the whopper of an ending.
Grade: A-
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