Netflix Finally Adds This Massively Underrated Thriller Fans Call “A gnarly gem”
Leigh Whannell is one of the wild minds that brought us Saw. He and James Wan changed the landscape of contemporary horror with their special piece of torture porn that wedged into the brains of the horror-watching public. Since then, Whannell has impressed with his 2020 adaptation of The Invisible Man and his upcoming 2024 adaptation of The Wolf Man. But what’s often forgotten is his 2018 bloody revenge gem Upgrade, which is now finally streaming on Netflix.
In Upgrade,
A brutal mugging leaves Grey Trace paralyzed in the hospital and his beloved wife dead. A billionaire inventor soon offers Trace a cure—an artificial intelligence implant called STEM that will enhance his body. Now able to walk, Grey finds that he also has superhuman strength and agility—skills he uses to seek revenge against the thugs who destroyed his life.
Logan Marshall-Green leads the film as Grey Trace, with Betty Gabriel and Harrison Gilbertson also starring.
In 2020, it was announced that there would be an Upgrade television series, co-created by Leigh Whannell and produced by Blumhouse Television and UCP. Whannell was set to direct the series, which was set to “pick up a few years after the events of the film and broadens the universe with an evolved version of STEM and a new host—imagining a world in which the government repurposes STEM to help curb criminal activity.” According to IMDb, the first episode is set to premiere on June 18, 2024, but with no news since the initial announcement, we aren’t so sure that’s accurate.
Despite critic and audience acclaim, the film has faded into relative obscurity. But thankfully, fans continue to beat the Upgrade drum, which will hopefully only grow with the film more easily accessible on Netflix.
Don’t believe me? See the love for Upgrade on Twitter below:
Upgrade is available now on Netflix.
Are you going to check out this revenge thriller? Is it one of your recent favorites? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram @DreadCentral.
Categorized:News
