Upgrade (2018)

Upgrade is the kind of lean, mean sci-fi thriller that takes a familiar revenge setup and jolts it to life with wicked intelligence and style. Leigh Whannell stages the action like a grimly funny dance between man and machine—tight, inventive fight choreography paired with camera work that makes your body feel every sudden, surgical movement. Logan Marshall-Green sells the central push-pull with a grounded intensity, while the film’s dark humor keeps the tone sharp even as the world grows colder and more mechanized. Fair warning: it’s brutally violent and not shy about blood, but if you can handle the grit, it’s a propulsive, satisfyingly nasty ride that punches far above its weight.

Upgrade is clearly trying to be a slick, nasty little sci‑fi revenge thriller with a clever hook: a paralyzed man gets his body back thanks to an AI that’s a bit too helpful. When it leans into the action, it’s genuinely inventive and brutally efficient, with Logan Marshall-Green selling the physical “someone else is driving” gimmick better than you’d expect. The catch is that the bigger ideas about technology and control aren’t especially fresh, and the story can feel like it’s sprinting from one set piece to the next on familiar rails, with some clunky dialogue and tonal wobble along the way. If you’re here for smart, layered sci‑fi drama, this may feel thin; if you want hard-R, high-impact violence and a propulsive revenge ride, it’s a strong use of your time.