Upgrade (Review)
Go see Upgrade.
Seriously, you don’t need to read anything else I have to say about it, just go and see the movie.
Upgrade might not be a genre-defining film, but it’s one of the greatest sci-fi action movies I’ve seen in years. Everything about it just seemed to fall into place perfectly. It’s a beautiful blend of thought-provoking philosophy and incredible action sequences that I just could not get enough of. It felt like one long action packed Black Mirror episode. Honestly, I was seriously looking forward to Upgrade but it exceeded even my wildest expectations.
The film takes place in the near future where technology has become even more entwined with everyday life. People ride in smart cars that do all the driving for them. Cybernetic implants are all the rage and give people unbelievable abilities. Houses know exactly how you like your coffee. Seems like a pretty good deal, right? Well, not for Grey. He’s a self-proclaimed technophobe and is played by a very Tom Hardy-esque Logan Marshall-Green in what I believe is going to be his break out role. Logan has played a variety of roles in the past, but he’s never really been the star before. After his outstanding performance as Grey though, I foresee big things for this immensely talented actor. What makes him so good? Well, I’m getting to that.
You see, Grey is not as enamored with technology as everyone else seems to be. This makes it all the more tragic when he suffers a brutal assault that leaves him as a quadriplegic and a widower. His only hope for a normal life is through a special implant designed by super genius Eron (played by Harrison Gilbertson sporting a very Jared Leto inspired look). It doesn’t take long for Grey to agree to the non-FDA approved procedure and he’s back on his feet again. The side effect of the operation though is that now he has an AI in his head named Stem (voiced by Simon Maiden). This is where Logan earns his paycheck. The AI in his head is controlling his body under the instruction of Grey, giving him very robotic movements, to begin with. However, there are times when Stem completely takes over and when he does it’s jaw-dropping. Stem turns Grey into one of the biggest badasses in cinema history. His movements are simple, precise, and absolutely devastating. While Stem is controlling his body though, Grey is in control of everything from the neck up and the looks of horror he gets at the things he’s doing to bad guys are the cherry on top of it all.
I’ve always loved sci-fi. Especially good sci-fi that makes you think afterward, like Blade Runner, The Matrix, and Inception. It might seem presumptuous to compare Upgrade to the likes of this films, but it’s a cult classic in the making. Not only does it look at the dangers of turning over more and more control to technology, but it also looks at where the line can be drawn for cyborgs. While Grey might not be sporting robo-arms (don’t worry there are others in the film that are), the simple implant in his spine makes him one of my personal favorite cyborgs in movie history. Everything from his movements to the tiny details, like watching Stem take over Grey to draw on paper in the same way a printer prints, sell that he is a cyborg, even though there’s no visual cur to make the audience think that.
While it might seem like a straightforward action flick on the surface, upgrade raises the stakes as Grey has to not only find the men responsible for his wife’s death but also keep Stem under control. It’s not that Stem is in conflict with Grey, it’s just that he’s not human and doesn’t understand the emotional or social implications of, oh say, beating a man to death. In this way, the dynamic between Grey and Stem is the cornerstone of Upgrade. Afterall, we never actually get to see Stem. All we ever hear is his voice in Grey’s head, and Logan has to sell the conversation more than Maiden does, but the two of them together take Upgrade from a pretty good action flick to one of my favorite movies of 2018.
I have to give Blumhouse credit for this one. After the trash fire that was Truth or Dare, they knocked it out of the park with Upgrade. Not only that, but it feels like a bold choice to give a movie like this a wide release. So much could have gone wrong with it so easily, but Leigh Whannell knocks it out of the park with his storytelling and mind-bending cinematography. After seeing this movie I’m sold on him as a writer/director and cannot wait to see what he does next. The same goes for Logan Marshall-Green who I am convinced will be moving his way up to A-list status in the next few years.
If you’re still reading this review, I’m disappointed. Stop what you’re doing and go see the first showing of Upgrade you can get to. I know I’ll be seeing it more than once in theaters, because like I said, it’s one of my favorite movies of 2018 so far. June is definitely off to a great start after this one.
