Upgrade

I'll give this film credit for putting a fresh spin on the overdone revenge film. The action is very unique, while also evoking memories of the Wachowskis' work on The Matrix. I really enjoyed the Vangelis-esque score used throughout. It helped create that dark, futuristic atmosphere necessary for the story. Even if you think you see where the story is going, it manages to go in unexpected directions. Between the cool concept, great sets, and dark themes, Upgrade is just that, an upgrade to the typical revenge action thriller.

Upgrade is unfortunately in the club of great movies that completely flew under the radar when first released. But that might actually work to its advantage, as this is definitely one of those movies where the less you know going in, the better. The only reason I was aware of Upgrade is because of writer/director Leigh Whannell (Saw, Insidious), and the fact I'd heard plenty of great things from friends who'd seen it. The film takes the all-too-familiar premise of a man looking to avenge the murder of his wife, and puts an interesting new sci-fi spin on it. Whannell clearly loves the classics, because Upgrade's influences are easy to spot - RoboCop, Blade Runner, Dredd, Death Wish. They've all been thrown in a blender, and what comes out is something that feels like its own movie, while also paying tribute to everything that inspired Whannell to become a filmmaker in the first place. Upgrade is violent, thought-provoking, funny, surprising, with some terrific fight sequences, an awesome soundtrack, and a dynamite performance from Logan Marshall-Green. I also get the feeling I'm gonna love it even more the next time I watch it. Highly recommended for fans of sci-fi/action.

I went into this with fairly low expectations. The trailer looked good, and the cinematography looked exciting. But the premise seemed tired and worn.

*in a deep, movie-voice over voice* some guys kill his wife, and now he's seeking revenge".

But this film surpassed my expectations, and was a well-worth experience. Not only was I correct about the cinematography being exciting and engaging, but the plot actually strung together compelling way. This film came out of nowhere for me, and now, it's a memorable film that accomplishes the most important goal of any great film: gets the audience to keep wondering about it.

Since I don't want to go into spoilers, I'll say one last thing: pay attention to the Foley artist's work. The sound design is poignant and additive to the experience. It reminds me of the clever usage of music from Baby Driver. Nothing is wasted and is always enriching of the world building. With Baby Driver, the music was giving us Baby's personal experience. Here, the sound effects give us Grey's point of view. Didn't experiences, but both are elevated through sound, masterfully.

I genuinely want to see it again. If the trailer interested you at all, go see it. It's worth your while.

Through and through this movie felt like a longer episode of black mirror. The production was higher and the cinematography was really cool. I could see how the stabilization lock on his head during fight scenes could make some people dizzy, but I thought it was a unique way of doing things. Some of the acting was sub-par during the casual interactions, but I thought the plot and action made up for it. It's thought provoking in the way Black Mirror is and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys that content and doesn't mind gore.

I went into this movie having no clue what it was about and wasn't expecting much, but I loved it.

There are innumerable movies with huge budgets that simply fall flat, and Upgrade, with a Budget of around $5,000,000, which doesn't cover the cost of catering on some of these huge budgeted flops, honestly looked like it cost a lot more than it actually did.

Intelligent script, good action, very few unnecessary scenes, and though I thought it was sure to let me down, a very good ending.

And although I have seen much of Logan Marshall-Green's work and was never a huge fan, he does a very good job here.

Recommended.