"Upgrade" Movie Review

Few movies in recent memory have elicited a sense of pure B-movie glee like director Leigh Whannell’s “Upgrade.”

The film centers around Grey Trace, played by Logan Marshall-Green, who works as a car mechanic in a near-future world of self-driving automobiles and pervasive police surveillance. After delivering a car to a socially awkward inventor named Eron Keen, Trace and his wife, Asha, are violently attacked by some slick-haired thugs with cyberpunk implants. Asha is killed and Trace is paralyzed, rendering him a paraplegic. Trace’s world is soon flipped upside down (or rather, right-side up) when Keen contacts him and informs him of a new technological implant called STEM, which will give Trace full control of his body with highly enhanced abilities. STEM communicates with Trace using a HAL 9000-like voice, played by Simon Maiden, and provides him with previously impossible physical abilities, allowing Trace to enact skull-shattering revenge on those responsible for his wife’s murder.

If audiences sit back, relax and don’t think too much, “Upgrade” is a crowd-pleasing film that defies expectations. The mixture of sci-fi drama, action and humor makes the film immensely entertaining, though not without a few faults.

Despite this mixture of genres, “Upgrade” is most assuredly a film from the creator of the “Saw” franchise. Expect loads of (somewhat predictable) plot twists, copious amounts of gore and an ending that nearly goes off the rails.

“Upgrade” doesn’t start off on a great note, initially sharing similarities with the terribly written “Saw” films. Trace and his wife interact with cringe-inducing, cheesy dialogue that proves off-putting, considering that viewers are supposed to become emotionally attached to Trace and, especially, his wife.

After a brutal scene in which Asha is killed, however, the previously lackluster dialogue and characters become much easier to care about. Trace is a damaged man, and the film takes its time showing his mental turmoil. The surprisingly thoughtful character development makes it easy for viewers to sympathize with Trace, establishing him as an increasingly compelling character as the film progresses.

Much of the joy of “Upgrade,” though, is seeing the harsh, semi-plausible world Whannell has created, as well as watching the darkly comedic interplay between Trace and STEM.

Police drones whir around nearly every street corner, self-driving cars zoom throughout crowded cities, and personalized artificial intelligence systems greet their hosts as they enter their houses. Virtual reality is even treated as an addictive drug, with people permanently immersing themselves in technology to escape the real world.

It’s a downright marvel that Whannell and crew beautifully visualized this world with a pint-sized budget compared to most other science-fiction films that have recently been released. The lack of CGI, for the most part, gives the film a rough, grimy aesthetic that matches the film’s semi-serious tone. For example, despite the tragic setup, the film’s fight scenes are hilariously over-the-top and always full of bone-crunching satisfaction.

The first fight scene starts with a thug pinning down Trace, requiring him to give verbal permission to STEM to take over his body. STEM launches Trace’s body upward, as if he’s in “The Exorcist,” and annihilates the thug with savage precision. Trace, watching in horror, apologizes to the thug as he breaks practically every bone in the thug’s body. Marshall-Green gives a great physical performance in this scene, while STEM has control and he’s just along for the brutal ride.

The camerawork in the action scenes puts viewers in Trace’s shoes, providing viewers a sense of him losing control. The camera moves with Trace’s every movement, making him seem like a puppet manipulated by some all-powerful being. This camerawork, along with expert fight choreography, solidifies “Upgrade” as a film that should fully satisfy action junkies, as well as those interested in dystopian science fiction.

Trace’s sarcastic personality plays well off STEM’s clever dialogue, which also gives the film some surprisingly effective comedic moments.

I’d be remiss without mentioning the film’s soundtrack, which employs deep, synthy growls reminiscent of the “Blade Runner” films.

Though the film is consistently compelling, there are a few distractions that might prove difficult for some viewers to overlook. Firstly, the film’s acting isn’t quite up to par overall. Marshall-Green is fine, but his dramatic chops are difficult to take seriously and worsened by occasionally clunky dialogue. Furthermore, the other characters don’t receive much development at all. In particular, Detective Cortez, who investigates Asha’s killers, fits right in with the film’s B-movie style, but is disappointingly underdeveloped.

The villains are also perfectly serviceable but somewhat forgettable. The technology they use, including guns implanted inside their hands, prove more interesting than the villains themselves. One main villain comes across as more annoying and irritating than anything else.

Then again, these problems don’t significantly detract from the film’s entertainment value. “Upgrade” is still one of the most surprising films of 2018 — just suspend your disbelief.

Rating: I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that/5 Corrupted Amazon Alexas

(Written for TMN publication, The Index).