Upgrade

The most original little big cyberpunk B-movie in at least a few years. It has all the ideas, the swagger, the brilliant action and the blown heads that fans of revenge sci-fi need in regular doses every now and again. The production design is intentionally understated, with post-rock music that gives it the right mysterious atmosphere and moderate clear action without big military passages like in the Terminator franchise, but with a story that allows the filmmakers to indulge in relatively breakneck excesses. Whannell knows exactly how to mix this shake. Great fun. (24/08/2018)

Actually, I have no words. Upgrade is one hell of a cyber punk movie. A clever hard-core sci-fi, with the actor in the leading role who from now on should appear only in the best blockbusters (and I don't mind that he is an Australian copy of Thomas Hardy, known from the series Quarry) and especially with the story which can at any moment explode into a rollercoaster of emotions that the audience cannot handle all no matter how hard they try. One more exciting aspect is that you cannot expect or predict this explosion. I have not seen such a well-written and well-filmed sci-fi with such a good atmosphere and music in a long time. (23/12/2018)

It’s fun when a futuristic idyll turns into Death Wish under the baton of a smart-ass computer like out of Space Odyssey. It’s even more fun when Whannell doesn’t give a crap about the characters and serves one interesting idea after another so thoughtful viewers would not get bored and would not mind that they can see far into the premise. A narration without major peaks, but also without hesitation and with an ending that arrives at the right moment and doesn’t disappoint. For a little love, a lot of attractive fun. (01/11/2018)

What’s the best method for revenge? Connect the internal automaton and bypass the conscience. A masterful work both visually and acoustically, which in the first half sometimes feels like a mechanical prank, but in the end removes all doubts. Bloody and realistic cyberpunk cleverly working with a minimalist design and distorted filming and a soundtrack that awakens memories of Deus Ex in me ... I'm installing it! Ex Machina without unnecessary feeling of being too smart, a good mixture of B-movie momentum and A-movie solutions. (31/08/2018)

With its spectacularly upgraded vengeance drama theme, Upgrade tells a story as simple as old Van Damme karate flicks, but with a futuristic dimension more reminiscent of – due to its lower budget – the original Terminator. This action sci-fi movie is innovative with some original details and has slight cult potential. Whannell surprised us. Even Wan himself couldn’t have shot it better. (04/10/2018)