Leigh Whannell's Killer AI Horror Film Is A Hidden Gem

gamerant.com:

Sci-fi is often a genre marked by the worst imaginable visions of the future and the apocalyptic horror that will eventually close the human narrative. Sometimes, however, sci-fi can deliver nightmares on a more up close and personal scale, to great effect.

Leigh Whannell is probably best known for his role as the gentleman who doesn't hack his own leg off in the original Saw. More dedicated fans might know that he also wrote the first three Saw films, along with all the Insidious films. He directed Insidious: Chapter 3, then saw great success writing and directing the stellar reimagining of The Invisible Man. Whannell does a ton of work in these huge horror franchises, but he also crafted a great standalone project in 2018's Upgrade.

5 Most Influential Sci-Fi Film Directors

Upgrade is an action-horror-sci-fi film that proudly represents the cyberpunk subgenre. The story follows Grey Trace, a proud advocate of outdated technology living in a future that has innovated beyond his liking. Grey and his beloved wife Asha are violently mugged, leaving her tragically shot dead and him permanently paralyzed. Vengeful and miserable, Grey is approached by the reclusive tech prodigy who once employed his wife. He proposes a devil's bargain: he'll outfit Grey with a highly advanced neural implant that can give him back full control over his body and allow him to seek revenge. Though Grey finds the technology inherently inadvisable, he takes the deal and allows the super-AI STEM into his body, turning him into something akin to a cyborg. Grey must use his newfound superhuman abilities to uncover a high-tech mystery and avenge himself upon the world that wronged him.

The story of Upgrade is charmingly simple. There are a couple dozen