This Movie From 'Insidious' Director Is the Most Overlooked Sci-Fi Gem of the 2010s

Upgrade, a sci-fi action movie directed by Leigh Whannell, was released in 2018 and has been unfairly overshadowed by higher-profile projects. However, it's a smart, inventive film that plays a twisted game of leapfrog with the viewers.

What Is 'Upgrade' About?

In the near future, technology will have permeated every aspect of human life. Grey is a retrograde who prefers working with his hands and fixing old cars.

One day, on his way back from visiting a client, he and his wife are involved in an accident and they are captured by a gang of thugs as a result. His wife dies, leaving Grey paralyzed from the neck down.

A wealthy client offers Grey an experimental implant that can restore his mobility. However, the chip not only restores Grey's mobility, but also transforms him into a deadly killer.

Despite Its Limited Budget, 'Upgrade' Impresses With Its Visual Ingenuity

Upgrade is striking in its visual ingenuity. Whannell devised a unique filming technique: the camera focuses on the character rather than the surrounding action. It adds the necessary artificiality to the image, making it seem as if the actor is being controlled by a computer chip.

Without Logan Marshall-Green's stunning performance, this technique wouldn't have worked. Known for Prometheus and The Invitation, the actor delivers the best performance of his career here, combining the vulnerability of a paralyzed man with the cold-bloodedness of a killer.

The movie rarely leaves dark corridors and basements, but the claustrophobic setting only heightens the tension. Whannell has an ace up his sleeve for such moments: he doesn't shy away from interspersing fight scenes with exploitatively violent scenes that truly grate on the nerves.

Leigh Whannell, who collaborated with James Wan on Saw and Insidious for a long time, finally found his calling with Upgrade – he assembled a story that evokes little sense of déjà vu from familiar plot tropes and devices.

Leigh Whannell Could've Made a Typical Sci-Fi Action Movie, but Instead Created a Unique Project

In retrospect, Upgrade looks different: from a cyberpunk John Wick, it transforms into a Philip K. Dick story. Rather than focusing on introspection and philosophical reflection, it's an inventive action film – and that's a good thing.

The ending turns everything on its head, adding a double meaning to the movie. Upgrade is a hidden gem of the 2010s, proving that it's possible to make a smart, stylish, and gripping sci-fi action movie on a limited budget.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Upgrade'?

• Upgrade has 88% from both critics and viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.5/10.

• On Letterboxd, Upgrade scored 3.7/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Upgrade'?

Upgrade is available to stream on Netflix.