Upgrade - Bridges Between Genre

An important part of the film Upgrade is Leigh Whannell. Many viewers will take into account the experience of director/writer Whannell as they enter the theater, and they will of course be drawn to his writing credits on the Saw (2004) and Insidious (2010) franchises. For his first standalone film with a director credit, he could have easily made another bland horror film for Blumhouse Productions' frequently less-than-stellar output. Instead, he chooses to reach outside of his comfort zone and make a more imaginative blend of sci-fi, horror, action, with even some film noir elements thrown in. The end results are well worth the ticket price, as the surprisingly entertaining and thought-provoking final product on the potential dangers of artificial intelligence reads akin to a nastier Twilight Zone or Black Mirror episode.

For some reason, it seems standard in horror films (or maybe just in the BH horror films) to let the acting and dialogue suffer for the advancement of plot and effect. Don't get me wrong, any fans of the above-mentioned genres are in for a treat. Still, the usual dissenters will have plenty to dissent about. The communication between characters feels like an overexaggerated attempt to stereotype every role in the film. But it's a minor annoyance in a film that gets almost every other point across, one way or another. The psychological and emotional pain displayed by Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green) resonates well throughout, effectively showing the difficulty of accepting such a frightening technology. 

One of the real showstoppers is the expertly choreographed action sequences, featuring creative camera work to highlight Trace's robotic movements and speed. The director's attention on Marshall-Green allows his character to explore the physical differences of Trace's own control and movements of the A.I. Further, his performance couples well with the gritty yet beautiful neon future city scenes, replicating the cyberpunk greats like Blade Runner (1982). The city feels far too close to reality, making the juxtaposition with the far too advanced technology all the more unsettling. These small details add up to an unnerving sum; though it would be far less disturbing as a simple crime thriller or sci-fi action on which the premise relies, the whole thing just screams horror in the end. It may not be as deep as some other similar films (Ex Machina for example), but my guess is that Upgrade is not trying to be.

Whannell unsurprisingly uses some blood and brutality to fit his Saw experience, but its appearance is not as frequent and thus very effectively shocking. Because the movie is so rooted in the point-of-view of Trace, the viewers lock into his sickened reactions on all the blood and violence, reactions which are all characteristically human responses. Maybe that's what makes the movie so ultimately effective: we as the human race are in Grey Trace's position right now, as we are slowly reckoning with a world that seems to be moving much faster than we are as individuals. And the fear that Upgrade brings in the pit of our stomachs is really just the fear of being enveloped by that world.

The end result: 2.5/4
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