Upgrade

The Skinny

Logan Marshall-Green stars as a not-so-tech-savvy mechanic who, after sustaining serious injuries from a car accident, agrees to an experimental body implant "upgrade" that comes with some interesting pros and cons.

The Good

Sounds like some sort of Marvel movie premise, doesn't it? This is the kind of "what if" I would talk with my friends about at the elementary school lunch table. "What if you could get a super-powered body? Would you play it like Clark Kent and try not to get discovered? Or would you fully lean into it and get revenge on people who did you wrong?" The movie has a nice balance of both, and I enjoyed the tone all the way through. It is especially fun to watch Marshall-Green, fresh off his upgrade, slide into his first dangerous physical confrontation with a bad guy. He experiences both the joy - and terror - of having what is essentially a "Hey Google, kill this guy" device built right into his body.

The Bad

I've heard people complain that the movie feels too "small" - that it's more like an episode of Black Mirror than a feature film. Comments like that always bother me. It seems outside the scope of critiquing the movie itself. Did the movie entertain you? Did you appreciate the acting? Was the story engaging? Then just say "Yes, I liked it!" Otherwise it's like saying "Well I liked the story but it seems like it could've just been a stage play."

The Ugly

Not "bad" per se, but there is some pretty gooey violence and gore (a decent share of which plays off humorously).

The Bottom Line

I loved it, and would definitely watch again!

Score

4/5 stars