Through Upgrade, director Leigh Whannell strives to portray a futuristic world that is not too far off from our current world considering the extent of modern technological developments [1]. Whannell wishes to present audiences with the way he envisions the near future, explaining that "[t]his world is just around the corner" [1].
A central theme of the movie is the effect that these technological advancements have on human capabilities. The film's protagonist is a paralyzed man who is granted superhuman abilities by a medical implant, and features similar technologically-enhanced humans known as "the upgraded." [2] These enhancements give the "upgraded" characters abilities that are far superior to that of an average human, a reality that Whannell choses to focus on in the film. Whannell wants to show the audience how, through the development of technology, "[w]e’re designing ourselves into irrelevance" [1].
[1] Ifeanyi, K.C., "How the director of “Upgrade” made a sleek sci-fi movie on a shoestring," (Fast Company, June 2018), https://www.fastcompany.com/40576232/how-the-director-of-upgrade-made-a-sleek-sci-fi-movie-on-a-shoestring (6 May 2020).
[2] "Upgrade 2018 Plot," (IMBd, 2020), https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6499752/plotsummary (6 May 2020).
Kalani Picho