Upgrade (2018) is waiting to be rediscovered on Netflix

In 2026, the familiar hallmarks of cyberpunk — unrestrained billionaires, corporate dominance and technocratic incompetence — read like warnings no one heeded. That makes 2018’s Upgrade an odd watch: thanks to careful satire and practical effects, it doesn’t feel dated and could pass for a recent release.

Set in 2046, the film follows car mechanic Grey (Logan Marshall-Green) after a brutal attack leaves his wife Asha (Melanie Vallejo) dead and Grey paralyzed. Tech billionaire Eron Keen (Harrison Gilbertson) offers an experimental spinal chip called STEM that restores Grey’s mobility — and, as it turns out, thinks for itself.

STEM gives Grey the chance for revenge and the ability to cede direct control of his body, turning him into a near-superhuman fighting machine. The choreography is a standout: Marshall-Green’s jerky, stiff movements sell the idea of an alien intelligence moving through a human frame, while dizzying camera work emphasizes the inhuman nature of those fights.

upgrade, logan marshall-green, stem, cyberpunk, practical effects, choreography, revenge, harrison gilbertson, melanie vallejo, spinal chip