As technological advancements creep closer to an autonomous society, Leigh Whannell’s Upgrade serves as a sobering reminder of the potential disconnectivity of individuals in a tech run world and also poses the question: What will happen when technology runs the world?
The film follows Grey (Logan Marshall-Green) as he hunts down the men who murdered his wife Asha (Melanie Vallejo) and left him a quadriplegic. Grey is given the chance to walk again with the help of a new Artificial Intelligence, STEM (Simon Maiden), which helps move his body for him.
Upgrade is a visually striking and unpredictable revenge story which includes just the right amount of dark humour along with brilliant action sequences. It is incredibly enjoyable and leaves you thinking about it long after viewing.
The film is very reminiscent of 80s sci-fi such as The Terminator (1984) and RoboCop (1987). The grim neon noir aesthetic throughout the film makes Upgrade one of the most visually striking films I have seen this year. Leigh Whannell’s world building is very effective in communicating the society of Upgrade. From the windowless, claustrophobic, self-driving cars which block the passengers off from the rest of the world, to the character’s responses to non-tech activities, most notably when Grey asks Asha if they want to “make” a pizza rather than “print” one and Asha replies saying that would be too much effort.
One of the many parts of Upgrade which stuck with me after viewing was the impeccable use of the camera to not only tell a story but to make the fight scenes look phenomenal. Once STEM becomes a central part of Grey’s life the camera switches from a regular cinematic look to a mechanically precise, artificial look which synchronises with the choreography of the action scenes in an incredibly unique, stylized way.
The back and forth dialogue between Grey and STEM are well written and provide a good laugh amongst an otherwise serious story. The story takes no time building your connection to Grey and his wife Asha which makes the viewer empathise with Grey’s loss all the more.
Once the film ends and the audience returns to reality, the viewers are left with an uneasy feeling that the future of our own society may soon look like the disconnected, tech-reliant world of Upgrade.
Upgrade
Sydney Film Festival
MA 15+
Michael (17)
Great review Michael! Can’t wait to see it.