Upgrade Review: 7 Ups & 2 Downs

6. It Makes Incredible Use Of Its Tiny Budget

Watching this movie, you'd probably never guess its budget was approximately $4 million, because Whannell does such a fantastic job crafting a visually impressive, frequently gorgeous movie that could easily pass for $15-20 million.

It's a testament to the strict economy that Whannell experienced working on the first Saw film - which James Wan directed for just $1.2 million - but even so, the film's beautiful production design, gonzo action and creative camerawork all suggest a movie far more expensive than is the case.

Sure, certain short-cuts are evident - namely the action coming in shorter bursts - but it's nevertheless mind-boggling that such a handsome, energetic movie can be produced on such strict resources inside the Hollywood system.

This is likely a credit to not only Whannell's low-fi filmmaking origins but also production company Blumhouse, who have built a firm reputation for producing slick, low-budget genre features which turn decent profits.

Above all else, it's an impressive challenge to the rest of the industry, demonstrating what can be achieved when the fat is trimmed and "Hollywood accounting" is taken out of the picture.