Upgrade Review: 7 Ups & 2 Downs

3. The Unexpected Emotional Resonance

Even more unexpected than the humour, though, is that Upgrade is genuinely affecting on an emotional level.

This is largely due to the surprisingly nuanced depiction of a man suffering with paralysis in the movie's first act, and Marshall-Green's really quite brilliant performance.

That's without even mentioning the loss of his wife and the added pain that brings to his predicament. And even when the action kicks off, the film never forgets Grey's immense turmoil, which follows him from the beginning of the film to the very end.

Whannell could've easily gotten away with making this a straight revenge flick with only a minimal amount of attention paid to Grey's condition, but he admirably takes a far smarter, more cerebral and emotionally gratifying approach. Who could've ever seen that coming?