Upgrade

John Wick meets Robocop and Black Mirror. I had fun and it didn't seem stupid to me at all. Quite the contrary. The world of the future surprised me with its thoughtfulness, and I was excited by all imaginative implants, especially the weapon implants. Although... there was no time for any major explaining or pausing over the action of the protagonist, the plot is not superb, everything is resolved briskly on the march, and thanks to the direction it has style and thanks to the script, it makes sense. Last time I was this pleased was when I watched District 9. (07/10/2020)

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. (25/08/2018)

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. (01/09/2018)

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)

In an interview with Joe Rogan, Elon Musk mentioned that he was about to announce something interesting in the area of connecting the brain with the digital world (this was immediately forgotten, because the newspapers only wrote about him smoking a joint with Joe). If this is what he had in mind, then we have something to look forward to. Whannell’s Upgrade is surprising both with its excellent action scenes and a story that works great. It's like Robocop, but more realistic, and it certainly has something to say with its nice ending and captivating visuals. Even though it has a bit of a B-movie plot, it has a lot of heart – and no shortage of blood. (10/09/2018)