The Most Underrated Cyberpunk Thriller of the Century Is Waiting to Be Rediscovered on Netflix

Image: Blumhouse Productions

By 2026, the foundational tropes of cyberpunk fiction have transformed from speculative fiction into a grim, unheeded prophecy. Society currently mirrors the dystopian world of Shadowrun with unsettling precision: unrestrained corporate hegemony, the pervasive influence of dark money, and a ruling class defined by technological hubris. It’s a familiar refrain, but its relevance has never been more biting.

Against this backdrop, the 2018 film Upgrade feels like a startling anomaly. Thanks to its razor-sharp satire and masterful use of practical effects, the movie remains remarkably timeless. It possesses the kinetic energy of a modern production—as if it were crafted just yesterday, or perhaps by someone with a perspective from a few years down the line.

Upgrade belongs to a lineage of films that would have flourished in the era of video rentals and late-night cable broadcasts—the kind of movie you’d inevitably stumble upon on television and find yourself glued to until the final frame. If you find it scrolling through your Netflix queue, it demands your attention.

The story follows Grey (Logan Marshall-Green), a blue-collar mechanic in the near future who, alongside his wife Asha (Melanie Vallejo), falls victim to a brutal attack. The incident leaves Asha dead and Grey paralyzed, his life shattered in an instant.

Seeking a desperate recovery, Grey turns to an eccentric tech billionaire client, Eron Keen (Harrison Gilbertson), who implants an experimental AI chip known as “STEM” into his spine. The device restores Grey’s mobility by acting as an interface for his nervous system. However, Grey soon discovers that STEM possesses its own agenda. It offers him the means to exact vengeance, but with a terrifying caveat: it can assume full control of his body, turning him into a lethal, superhuman fighting machine.

Image: Blumhouse Productions

The film’s standout element is undoubtedly its fight choreography, which renders Grey’s movements uncanny and unsettling. Marshall-Green delivers a brilliant physical performance, adopting a stiff, mechanical gait that suggests he is merely a passenger in his own anatomy. STEM operates with a cold, calculated efficiency that ignores the grace of human combat, opting instead for brutal, jarring precision.

This is further elevated by the director’s inventive camera work. Leigh Whannell achieved the dizzying, locked-on perspective by physically attaching the camera to the lead actor. Rather than resorting to the overused “shakycam” aesthetic of the post-Bourne era, this technique creates an alien sensation, emphasizing the unnatural speed and ruthlessness of the augmented protagonist. Marshall-Green captures the profound horror of a man forced to watch himself commit atrocities, effectively portraying the agony of being a spectator to his own violent survival.

Image: Blumhouse Productions

The film is deeply rooted in the tradition of body horror. As a co-creator of the Saw franchise, Whannell excels at visceral, uncompromising violence. Every encounter STEM participates in is unflinching and gruesome, serving as a stark reminder of the machine’s lack of moral inhibition.

Ultimately, Upgrade is a masterful blend of genre sensibilities—a sci-fi premise wrapped around a core of pure, unadulterated horror. While it may initially masquerade as a dark, technological vigilante story, it quickly pivots into something far more sinister. My advice: dive into Upgrade completely fresh. Avoid spoilers and allow the film to unfold at its own relentless pace. It is a taut, 100-minute masterclass in tension that is well worth the journey.

Source: Polygon