There were several cyberpunk films coming out this year. Duncan Jones' slow and heavy "Dumb". Netflix's "Tau" is average in every way. All of the projects turned out to be controversial. Upgrade, on the other hand, broke this black streak of failure in such a topical genre.
The film was directed by Lee Wannell, known as the screenwriter of such thrillers as Saw and Astral. His experience with thrillers was reflected in Upgrade. The movie turned out with a dark atmosphere characteristic of the genre. Upgrade combines a detective story with unexpected twists and turns, without losing any of its dynamics, as other representatives of the genre often do. It succeeds due to excellent action scenes, where the camera follows the movements of the main character. Each fight ends with a brutal massacre, underlining the tense atmosphere.
The film features many elements of the future on our doorstep. Unmanned cars, drones, smart homes, VR and led by artificial intelligence. All of these attributes are well woven into the plot. The authors have shown the dangers that these technologies can carry.
All this is complemented by an oppressive soundtrack, dark visuals and interesting camerawork, making Upgrade one of the best representatives of the genre.