Review of Upgrade

I've had a soft spot for Leigh Whannel since he broke onto the scene as the writer of the first three Saw films then went on to get creative with other fare as Dead Silence, Cooties, and, most notably, the damned great Insidious series. However, the trailer for Upgrade left me somewhere between interested and rolling my eyes. Coupled with his decent but comparatively lackluster first outing as a director for Insidious 3, I was ready to write this off as one I'd "catch later". Boy, am I glad I saw it on the big screen!

I should of known better, of course. So far, even at his weakest, Whannel has offered up extremely enjoyable and morbidly creative takes on horror. Thankfully, Upgrade is Whannell firing on all cylinders as he takes on a techno thriller that bridges the gaps between sci-fi, action, and body horror. The results are a freakin' blast.

Imagine Robocop put through a Cronenberg grinder if Cronenberg was more preoccupied with thrills and AI paranoia...then add a healthy dab of action. Throw in a dash of viscera, a spritz of cautionary tale, a slice of revenge story, and some moral dilemmas and you have Upgrade.

A man rendered disabled by an orchestrated accident is made subject of groundbreaking technology that allows him to regain his ability to move but also maximizes his potential. That is until he realizes that the tech is sentient and more than willing to help him solve the mystery behind his accident.

The movie brings so many influences together into a taut little package that moves at steady clip and keeps you on the edge of your seat while still managing to warn us about the potential dangers of embracing technology without proper precaution. The action is brutal, the score reminiscent of a great 80's synth score, and the creative twists and turns are what Whannell flourishes most at.

Highly recommended. One of the most fun flicks I've seen thus far this year at the theater.