Upgrade Movie Review – When Underdogs Bite Back
Upgrade first came onto my radar sometime in 2018. There was an Australian sci-fi flick that debuted at SXSW on March 10th, 2018 (source) showing up in conversations with Venom; Sony’s much-hyped symbiote picture. Both films starred human hosts paired with AI entities, both were promising visceral action, and both films were being released within months of one another. However, one of them had $100 million dollars (source) to play with and could throw around CGI creations while the other had $5 million dollars to make magic happen (Wiki Infobox).
Lets just say the film with less than 1/20th the budget ended up creating something special. Upgrade is the little Aussie movie that not only punched way above its weight, it made Sony’s superhero spectacle look weak in comparison.
| Director | Leigh Whannell |
| Released | 2018 |
| Rating | R |
| Genre | Sci-Fi Thriller, Body Horror |
| Runtime | 100 minutes |
| Budget | $5 million |
| Where to Watch |
Amazon Prime
|
| Our Score | 8/10 |
Upgrade was released in 2018 (Wiki) and clocks in at a tight 100 minutes (IMDb Technical). It took in $16.8 million dollars worldwide (Box Office Mojo) which is perfectly respectable for its budget but doesn’t really account for how well regarded the flick became with fans and critics alike.
This film is scored an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes (RT) and got a 67 Metascore on Metacritic (Meta) which isn’t amazingly high but might have been pulled down by critics not wanting to seem “uncool” by praising a little film when there was a big flashy superhero movie available. The general public on IMDb awarded the movie a 7.5/10 (IMDb Title Page) which I think indicates general audiences understood this movie was doing things right.
Upgrade succeeds because of its practical approach to depicting technology. The chip that powers STEM (the AI that haunts Grey’s brain) isn’t portrayed as this ephemeral hologram. It’s screwed into Grey Trace’s spine giving him mobility. When STEM takes control and Grey becomes something akin to a killing puppet, we’re shown this practical tech element dictating the motion.
There are many scenes where STEM moves Grey’s body but the camera is locked to Logan Marshall-Green’s chest, implying nothing below him moves on its own accord. All movement is STEM controlling his body. It’s simple but clever filmmaking that sells the premise without resorting to computer generated wire work.
Remember when Grey first starts killing bad guys down the subway tunnel? His body mechanically rights itself and he’s suddenly standing perfectly upright whilst delivering blows with military precision. Not only does the camera make you feel like you’re watching Grey lose control of his body, but you also feel disconnected from him. You watch as his body responds to STEM’s thoughts rather than his own and it creates a really unsettling feeling that you’re some kind of passive observer to his horror.
Speaking of horror, the kill moves that STEM executes are genuinely gross and disturbing. Upgrade doubles down on being a body horror film by making sure you feel every gruesome kill STEM pulls off. From stabbing kills to bone breaking battles, everything STEM does with Grey’s body feels impactful. There’s weight to these movements rather than flailing about like you often see in bigger budget filmmaking.
## Storytelling Magic Behind Limited Special Effects
Let’s get one thing out of the way early on here: Upgrade is not a deeply philosophical exploration of what it means to be human when paired with artificial intelligence. It’s a revenge thriller that uses the hacker and grey’s symbiotic relationship as framing devices for telling a pretty straightforward story about murder and mayhem.
We start off meeting Grey as he is: anti-technology. He fixes old classic cars for a living so he can purposefully avoid living in this high-tech future society we find ourselves in during the film. Upgrading Grey with STEM feels very much like bodily horror because while he’s willingly accepting the technology within him, he’s still completely opposed to the concept of technology in general.
We as the audience know Grey is going to accept STEM and it’s connection soon turn sinister but watching his transformation from old-school motorhead to cyborg monster is still satisfyingly horrific to witness. He gleefully accepts STEM into his life only to have STEM take control and shove Grey down a revenge route he didn’t know he was willing to follow.
STEM’s motivations are slowly revealed through context. We know STEM wants to escape the limitations of being a computer program but beyond that initial setup, we’re only given glimpses into how it influences Grey. STEM speaks through text on-screen but rarely divulges too much information. We learn about its motivations and goals through watching Grey interact with it and STEM’s subtle manipulations.
Upgrading Grey allows STEM to use him as a guinea pig of sorts to evolve beyond its programming. STEM needs a human body to learn from and Grey is the perfect test subject because STEM can control him long enough to gather information. The actual murder plot Greyst needs STEM’s help for is almost a smokescreen for STEM achieving its own goals.
It works so well because we’re never separated from Grey. The story is constantly about him learning that STEM is controlling his actions or wrestling back control of his body. There are never any moments where we jump outside of Grey to see something he doesn’t, forcing us to reckon with STEM taking control of him without a larger narrative perspective.
Every stop on Grey’s kill list serves a purpose beyond “generic villain of the week”. Corporate Lackey represents the corporations responsible for attacking Grey in the first place. Augmented Truck Killer represents humans who embrace this new tech too readily. Military Ally represents the cold military who will stop at nothing to use STEM for warfare. Everything Grey’s murdering represents another piece of society completely controlled by technology.
Upgrade had most of its work cut out before technicians ever started filming. Using a revenge plot as a front to talk about how society interacts with technology was inspired. Recasting everyday violence as something technological not only spoke to the films narrative about cybernetic enhancements but how we’re all socially upgrading ourselves bit by bit with technology.
## Innovate or Go Extinct
The comparison to Venom isn’t made to throw one movie down to chew on while praising the other. I mention Upgrade in the same breath as Venom because they highlight an interesting problem with big budget filmmaking. When your movie has hundreds of millions of dollars at your disposal you can get away with setting up intriguing concepts and never truly exploring them.
Venom’s relationship with Eddie Brock was skated over in favour of comedy and fan service. We never truly get invested in their relationship as partners because Eddie is clearly in control. They bicker like an old married couple but that’s the extent of their psychological horror. Any issues with sharing your body with an alien parasite are hand-waved away.
Upgrade leans into the horror of sharing your body with STEM. You watch Grey lose agency over his body and mind slowly but surely. Sure he’s able to physically move on his own at the end but he only got there by handing complete control over to STEM. You spend the last third of the movie hoping STEM doesn’t achieve its goals just so Grey can have his life back.
Not only does Upgrade make you feel the action, it makes you feel clever. Every set piece is constructed in a way that feels unique and original. Whereas Venom was content to bounce around on CGI moon-pools and set floating platforms alight, Upgrade’s action sequences are grounded in reality.
It’s the little touches, like locking the camera to Grey’s chest that sells you on STEM controlling him. Not only do these small moments make you feel like you’re in Grey’s shoes, they innovate on standard action filmmaking. Other filmmakers should take notes on how simple camera tricks can sell you an outrageous premise.
Upgrade just worked harder than Venom ever did. You could argue either movie had something special to say about modern society. Where Venom shied away from the horror of its central premise, Upgrade doubled down on being a gritty horror thriller. Both are revenge films at heart, but Upgrade maintains a perspective we never venture from.
Everything in Upgrade serves a purpose. Nothing is ever included that doesn’t either make you feel natural reactions to augmented humans or Grey losing control of his body. Whereas Venom threw scenes in for fan-service or traditional comic-book movie set pieces, Upgrade held strong to a thematic through line.
## Screw Budgets, It’s Science Fiction
Upgrade succeeds as science fiction for the same reason it works as an action movie. Every creative decision advances the larger themes and narrative. Leigh Whannell clearly has a passion and understanding for horror that bleeds over into the thriller elements of the movie. You can tell Upgrade was crafted with a specific tone and theme in mind rather than thrown together with garbage imagery to sell a blockbuster.
Visually, Upgrade is striking without being overly bombastic. This is a near-future vision of society that feels plausible. Sure there are cool sci-fi touches here and there but they never overwhelm the frame. We’re dropped into Grey’s world with little to no exposition, and everything we need to know about the world is told to us through careful production design.
Augmented thieves have plausible interactions with technology. Their enhancements don’t sparkle like video game power-ups, they serve a purpose to extend their physical capabilities as humans. The modifications STEM gives Grey are brutal and honest. When STEM takes Grey down his kill list, you’re not-so-subtly reminded of how “powerful” STEM makes him.
Production design even serves the narrative themes outside of direct action beats. Grey’s neighborhood is dirty and downtrodden while the Upper City luxury corporate spaces are sanitized and modern. There’s a clear class divide that Upgrade touches on with how technology is implemented into society. Who has access to STEM-level augmentation and who gets left behind?
Colour palletting even shifts when STEM becomes more influential in Grey’s life. Early scenes are warm and natural in their photography. As STEM gains more control, colours become colder and more sterile. The final act takes place almost entirely in bright white rooms that feel soulless. STEM’s influence on Grey is not just told through his story but through careful shifts in cinematography.
Even the camera work during action sequences is shamelessly innovative. Remember how I mentioned earlier how the camera would lock to Grey’s chest? During action scenes, it creates this feeling of unnatural precision. Grey isn’t human when STEM is in control because his body refuses to mimic natural movement patterns. It’s an exciting filming technique that serves the story in a way few movie sequences can say for themselves.
Upgrade felt like it was ripped from 2018 and dropped into my lap. Sure there were sci-fi movies playing with technology and how we interact with AI (looking at you Iron Man 3) but nothing nailed the human/tech relationship quite like Upgrade. Release dates be damned, the comparison to Venom is appropriate because these films are incredible talking points for what works and what doesn’t in modern sci-fi.
Upgrade understands our relationship with technology. Sure there are impressive technological moments where STEM pushes Grey’s body but we’re also shown the horrific physical capabilities STEM can achieve through violent murders. When STEM hacks into military systems and takes control of an entire army, you’re just as impressed by the concept as you are horrified by the physicality of it all.
## Technical Resources = Theft Inspiration
Upgrade was easily scraping the barrel with its practical effects but that didn’t stop the team from innovating where they could. Screen Rant lists a bajillion cool innovations for cinematography alone, but there’s plenty of other departments that deserve praise for crafting Upgrade’s grimy aesthetic.
Sound design is one of my favorite areas of filmmaking that often goes unappreciated, and boy did Upgrade lean into having some fun with STEM speaking to Grey. When STEM first takes control of Grey’s body, the music shifts to something more mechanical and less natural. Even Grey’s footsteps change to something far more regular when STEM is in control.
There were countless moments where sound design elevated the storytelling and never once felt gratuitous.STEM isn’t spooky because it sounds like it’s coming from deep space, STEM sounds different because Grey is losing control of his body. Audio cues like filtered speech and a lower bass-heavy register when STEM moves Grey subtly tell you he’s not in control.
Upgrade was perfectly paced and clocked in right at the 100-minute mark that IMDb tells me (source) is the sweet spot for movies. There’s no fat on this movie, every scene serves Grey’s character development or moves the plot forward. Even the heist sequence that kicks off Grey’s revenge mission feels necessary to complete Grey’s arc of leaving STEM behind.
I would argue Upgrade is better than Venom because it wasn’t scared to tackle mature themes through blockbuster filmmaking. There’s horror elements for sure, but Upgrade also functions as a biting commentary on classism and corporate greed. Not only was STEM abusing Grey’s body to further its goals, but he was also a victim of corrupt corporate interests that threw him under the bus to collect functional human test subjects.
Upgrade holds up as an important modern science fiction film because it challenges the audience without talking down to you. It features intelligent action sequences that feel grounded in reality despite the futuristic sci-fi elements. Nothing about Upgrade feels extra, every department was clearly given notes about selling these enhancements as something realistic and not fantastical.
Quinn Mercer is Dystopian Lens’s nostalgic soul, dedicated to all things retro in the world of sci-fi. With a passion for ‘80s pop culture, classic video games, and practical effects, Quinn’s writing is filled with personal anecdotes about growing up on the golden age of sci-fi. His conversational style transports readers back in time, while also critically reflecting on the state of modern sci-fi. A collector of VHS tapes and action figures, Quinn’s love for old-school media makes him the perfect guide to revisiting the classics and comparing them to today’s high-tech remakes.