As the summer begins to heat up, the box office is making hot impressions on its viewers. “Upgrade,” the newest science-fiction, horror film stars Logan Marshall-Green (Spiderman Homecoming- Shocker), Betty Gabriel (Get Out-Georgina) and Harrison Gilbertson (Need for Speed). The movie first aired at South by Southwest, a series of conferences of film and music festivals that take place in Austin, Texas on an annual basis over the last 30 years.
The flick was produced by Jason Blum who is synonymous for his work on the “Paranormal Activity” franchise, “Get Out” and “Happy Death Day” to name a few. His touch for the dramatic did not disappoint as it is etched into the crevices of “Upgrade.”
“Upgrade” presents the story of a revenge-based thriller through the myopic eyes of its main character Grey Trace (Marshall-Green) who, due to a horrific series of events, is prompted to take a piece of technology into his body that enables him to attempt major fetes. He is guided by the voice of the technology which identifies itself as STEM. STEM can see the ramifications of situations and predict possible outcomes on future actions which Trace uses to his benefit. The lines blur as there is a threshold the audience approaches trying to ascertain where Trace begins and STEM’S activity ends.
The movie is jarring as the producer takes liberties that most have not tried within the last few years of horror films. One such liberty is toggling between first and third person views that put the audience in the driver’s seat of this film. It creates a different dynamic to this movie and distracts entirely from the fact that it was shot on a low budget.
One downfall of the film is that the characters are, for the most part, one-dimensional and never fleshed out in great detail, except Trace. A greater emotional pull could have been solicited from audiences if they were able to invest more into the characters on screen. However, what fills this gap is 60 minutes of non-stop, heart- throbbing action as Trace tries to put together the clues of what caused the disaster he has lived through.
The plot is advanced with neck-breaking speed as we move from the events of the first act that are gripping because of the shock value of Trace building more confidence in himself. Written beautifully by Leigh Whannell, the writer that brought to life the “Saw” franchise, audiences are entreated to a film that is dark, innovative and reminiscent of the “Black Mirror” science-fiction series on Netflix. The scenes are dark and gritty and match the overall tone of the plot, which is a good marriage in film today.
The movie gives good reason for audiences to flock towards it as it is beautiful in its dark premise and connects to audiences with a deeper meaning regarding the topic of technology usage by mankind. Logan Marshall Green’s ability to separate himself from the characters he portrays simultaneously is one of the better aspects of the film. This draws the film slightly at different intervals because we are more inclined to see through Trace’s eyes since no other characters are relatable. Overall the movie is pure, unadulterated fun, with several surprises at each turning point of the film.
“Upgrade” Movie Review 4 out of 5 Paws.
