Upgrade

As we come close to the end of the summertime, everybody’s talking about their favorite film that blew them away and twisted their expectations into pretzels; films like Avengers: Infinity War, Incredibles 2, Deadpool 2, all these big blockbusters that have been breaking records faster than they’ve been breaking ankles. That’s not to say independent films didn’t get their share too, from documentaries like Won’t You Be My Neighbor? to dramas like Tully and Eighth Grade, and then, there’s experimental films that kick your ass and blow your mind to say “oh fuck.” Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Leigh Whannell’s Upgrade.

In a future not too far from our own, people are gaining their own new mechanical enhancements in daily life. When a man, Grey Trace, loses his girlfriend and his ability to move his body, he receives a chip called “STEM”, granting him his mobility in order to get revenge.

Upgrade is the kind of movie that people like myself have been waiting to see for some time, in the same vein as John Wick and Atomic Blonde, with a touch of Robocop; while it is a very simple film to follow, it is a balls-to-wall, body-horror action film, that has the most intriguing way of talking about our dependence on technology, and it never lets down. Whannell’s experience in horror, gives the movie a lot of creative camera tricks and choreography that I’ve seen thus far; with it being a BlumHouse production (thus, having a low budget), it gives him the range to be smart with his money (ex: using arm cannons instead of guns, and only one major gore effect). Hell, there’s even sequence in which we see the crippled Grey try to live life, and it just breaks your heart watching him.

Logan Marshall Green is fantastic as Grey Trace; when you see him after STEM is applied, you notices his movements are more direct and robotic, and his reactions from when permission is granted, it feels natural that he’d be freaked out a little. It reminded me a lot of Bruce Campbell in Evil Dead 2, when he gets his hand possessed; the physicality and reaction timing sync so well together. People seemed to look at him as “oh hey, it’s not-Tom Hardy,” but after seeing this movie, he’s truly made his name be known.

Betty Gabriel as Det. Cortez is good as the cop trying help, but the fair way; I do like how they have her try to be more reasonable than most films with this archetype, and Gabriel handles it smoothly, even handling her own action. STEM also becomes an interesting character throughout the film, calculating Grey’s logic with his gut instincts, and it always has you guessing what this thing will have Grey do next.

A lot people have made comparisons between this and Venom, considering they’re both about a Tom Hardy looking fellow (in Venom’s case, it IS Tom Hardy) dealing with an intelligent life altering entity that helps him take revenge, as it takes over his body. Of course, one’s a blockbuster and the other’s an indie flick, but which is better? Well, as I’m writing this, I haven’t seen Venom, but I have a feeling it won’t live up to Upgrade; there was just something about Upgrade that made it feel more passionate and lively. Maybe it might, but it needs to truly deliver.

Overall, Upgrade is one of the best films I’ve seen this year, and now that it’s turned me into a Leigh Whannell fan, I’m looking forward to his next work. The action is solid, the gore is used sparingly and wise, and the lead actor makes it all the more investing. Venom, you got competition, so you better deliver.

Rating: A