Upgrade Review [2018]: An Alarming Glimpse of the Near-Future
Packing no shortage of action, violence & gore, Leigh Whannell's sophomore directorial effort is a science-fiction body horror that provides a glimpse of the near-future that's equally fascinating & terrifying. And even though the film is marred by several issues, Whannell's old-school treatment gives it a slight edge over other similar but readily forgotten titles.
A biting critique of our increasing dependency on technology & automation and how the absence of human intervention isn’t just dangerous but can also be deadly, Upgrade features an interesting premise that shows the future of our tech-obsessed lifestyle as both fascinating & terrifying and is a well-crafted sci-fi horror.
Directed by Leigh Whannell (best known as the writer of Saw & Insidious), Upgrade is his sophomore directorial effort after Insidious: Chapter 3 and paints an alarming portrait of the future. The plot outline is a familiar one, it packs all the genre clichés and also happens to be predictable but it nonetheless makes up for an entertaining ride with no shortage of action, violence & gore.
Despite its thought-provoking concept, the film downgrades itself to a generic entry due to its terrible dialogues, poor characterization & formulaic narration. Everything that happens in the film, none of it is surprising because it’s stuff we all have seen before, and its lazy, uninspired writing is further exposed during interplay between characters. As for the performances, Logan Marshall-Green delivers a fab input and is able to steer the story past the finish line on his own.