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 Upgrade 

Rate this film:
A 40%  40%  [ 4 ]
B 60%  60%  [ 6 ]
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Total votes : 10

 Upgrade 
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Keeping it Light
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Upgrade is a 2018 science fiction body horror film written and directed by Leigh Whannell. It stars Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, and Harrison Gilbertson. The film follows a man who gets a chip that controls his body implanted into his brain after he is left paralyzed following a mugging. Jason Blum serves as a producer through his Blumhouse Productions banner.

After premiering on 10 March 2018 at South by Southwest, the film was released on 1 June 2018 in the United States by OTL Releasing and Blumhouse Tilt.


Sun Jun 03, 2018 6:45 am
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Pure Phase
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Post Re: Upgrade
A genuine under-the-radar gem this summer movie season, the lean, mean, and richly imagined Upgrade plays as Death Wish by way of RoboCop. After a roadside assault in near-future Los Angeles leaves him paralyzed and his wife dead, a mechanic receives an experimental implant; "STEM" restores his ability to move his limbs while also functioning as a voice in his head, helping him investigate his wife's murder. The dynamic shared by the wounded protagonist, played with brooding charisma and game physicality by Logan Marshall-Green, and his wily, HAL 9000-esque new conscience is craftily unpredictable. The trajectory of their relationship as two strong-willed minds within one body is a chief delight of this film, which neatly and potently tries its hand at old-school action, gruesomely Cronenberg-flavored horror, and futuristic satire and builds to a powerful twist ending.

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1. The Lost City of Z - 2. A Cure for Wellness - 3. Phantom Thread - 4. T2 Trainspotting - 5. Detroit - 6. Good Time - 7. The Beguiled - 8. The Florida Project - 9. Logan and 10. Molly's Game


Sun Jun 03, 2018 10:28 pm
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Extraordinary
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Post Re: Upgrade
Very enjoyable, and impressed that this was a $4m film, film didn't look cheap at all.


Mon Jun 04, 2018 2:38 am
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Post Re: Upgrade
Best movie of the year (so far)


Tue Jun 12, 2018 12:48 am
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Indiana Jones IV

Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 12:09 pm
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Post Re: Upgrade
A very slick and entertaining B-movie. Nothing to write home about but I enjoyed watching it.

B

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Mon Jun 18, 2018 11:14 pm
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Post Re: Upgrade
I enjoyed it, but I would have liked it way more if it wasn't for the last 10 minutes. It's a solid throwback to the unapologetic and over the top violent action movies of the 80's like Robocop with some Cronenberg body horror thrown in for good measure. I also appreciated the amount of dark humor and satire which isn't too in your face, but it's definitely there. Leigh Whannell's direction is constantly on point and Logan Marshall-Green is in top form, especially seeing his relationship unfold with STEM, but those last 10 minutes and that ending really put a bad taste in my mouth.

B


Fri Aug 17, 2018 11:10 am
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They don't make films like this all that often, but when they do I usually enjoy them. Anon, In Time, Minority Report, and now Upgrade. Doing some fun stuff with tech, and making a cool little sci-fi revenge action film, like a modern RoboCop. Not much to say about it other than it was good entertainment. Oh and if I had to guess, I'd say the producers couldn't afford Tom Hardy and Dane DeHaan, so they went for their lookalikes. B/B+


Sat Aug 18, 2018 5:08 am
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now we know
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Post Re: Upgrade
I dug the opening titles for this. It's short but there is no text. Just an AI voice reading it out. Just "OTL Releasing and BH Tilt....A Leigh Whannell Film....UPGRADE" and the film begins. Never witnessed that sort of intro before.


Sun Aug 19, 2018 2:19 am
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Wallflower
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Post Re: Upgrade
I saw it in the theater. Highly enjoyable down and dirty sci-fi action movie. Has a cool retro feel. Hoping we get a sequel. I know it sounds like they're going to do one.

8/10 (A-)


Wed Aug 22, 2018 3:21 am
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Keeping it Light
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Post Re: Upgrade
I heard good things, and it totally lived up to that, a surprise hit that would have deserved to do so much better in release. I've always liked LMG, and he nails the role, Harrison Gilbertson feels like a second-rate DeHaan though. The film moves at a brisk pace and its got great effects and action in the process, the kills are slick and it's nicely R-rated for the purpose. It's nice to see new directors enter the scene with a well executed film that doesn't miss a beat. While not necessarily creative in concept, it adapts sci-fi and revenge thriller very capably and just feels like a very fresh experience this year. Well rounded with its coming full circle finish too.

B+


Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:03 am
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Keeping it Light
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Post Re: Upgrade
publicenemy#1 wrote:
impressed that this was a $4m film, film didn't look cheap at all.


Totally, they produce more crud with bigger budgets, but made the most out of this and just felt like a very well dedicated effort.


Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:08 am
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KJ's Leading Idiot

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 8:15 pm
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Post Re: Upgrade
Yeah other than those last 10 minutes this was a great movie. I really liked what they did with the concept and would love a sequel. And yeah Logan Marshall-Green and Harrison Gilbertson were there to fill in for Hardy and DeHaan though the movie didn't need it, LMG is great here though and that's the most important thing, Harrison didn't impress though Gabriel and the actress playing the wife were good in small roles.

7/10


Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:17 pm
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KJ's Leading Idiot

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Post Re: Upgrade
Algren wrote:
I dug the opening titles for this. It's short but there is no text. Just an AI voice reading it out. Just "OTL Releasing and BH Tilt....A Leigh Whannell Film....UPGRADE" and the film begins. Never witnessed that sort of intro before.


Yes I loved that as well and its not like they weren't using graphics in the background just that they wanted to with this read out which was cool decision.


Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:18 pm
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KJ's Leading Idiot

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Post Re: Upgrade
stuffp wrote:
publicenemy#1 wrote:
impressed that this was a $4m film, film didn't look cheap at all.


Totally, they produce more crud with bigger budgets, but made the most out of this and just felt like a very well dedicated effort.


I felt that the movie had the cheap looking quality but then it aided more here in terms of the story narrative.


Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:20 pm
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Post Re: Upgrade
I'm in the "it didn't look cheap at all" camp.


Wed Sep 12, 2018 11:22 pm
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The Kramer
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Post Re: Upgrade
Once STEM comes online this movie becomes a Wickian blast. I didn't love the ending though. I don't mind that the "bad guy" won so much as STEM was behind the plot all along. The budding friendship between the two was the best part of the film (other than the gratuitous violence) and taking that away was crueler than anything else that happened. B+


Wed Apr 29, 2020 1:23 pm
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Indiana Jones IV

Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2005 8:35 am
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Post Re: Upgrade
Yeah, this is an awesome film. I love it. It's lean, mean and focused, with some great action and character work.

I agree with others that the final twist kind of spoils the emotional integrity of the story. The friendship between the main characters is the carrying force of the film, and disintegrating that in the end feels bad in a bad way. Undeserved.

Shame that there won't be a sequel, because somehow this to me this very much seems like a beginning of a franchise. It would be easy to bring Logan and STEM back together to their troublesome, but interesting friendship with an external threat that would require them both to work together.

I would so much love to see that happen. But it never will happen, which is a shame.


Sat May 02, 2020 3:41 pm
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