In a utopian near-future when technology controls everything, a man avenges his wife’s murder with the help of an experimental computer chip implant that turns out to have a mind of its own. A film by Leigh Whannell, starring Logan Marshall-Green, Melanie Vallejo, Linda Cropper, Betty Gabriel, Richard Cawthorne, and Harrison Gilbertson.

Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green), an auto mechanic, lives with his wife Asha (Melanie Vallejo), who works for Cobolt, a company specializing in bionic limbs for wounded soldiers. Grey asks Asha to come with him to deliver a refurbished 1977 Pontiac Firebird to his client. He needs her to drive him back home in her self-driving car. Initially refusing, Asha tells Grey that she has work to do. Grey finally convinces Asha to come along with him, teasing that she’ll love to see his client’s house.

Arriving at the client’s house, located beneath two gigantic rocks, Asha is thrilled and amazed. Grey introduces Asha to his client, who is playing with a floating cloud. Asha immediately recognizes Grey’s client as Eron Keen (Harrison Gilbertson), the owner of Vessel Computers, one of the most advanced computer technology companies in the world. Asha tells Eron that she loves his company’s work and hopes that Cobolt can someday reach Vessel’s level. Eron simply replies that Cobolt would never be in the same position as Vessel.

Eron unveils his latest invention, STEM, a computer chip that can do anything. It can drive anything, talk to anything, calculate anything. Basically, it’s a new, better brain. Asha is impressed by Eron’s innovative chip, but Grey is less enthusiastic, asserting that lots of people will lose their jobs when it hits the market.

On their way home, Grey notices Asha’s self-driving car veering off course. It’s heading straight for New Crown, Grey’s old neighborhood. Asha commands Kara, the car’s AI, to take them home. But Kara malfunctions, insisting there’s an error. The car speeds up uncontrollably and crashes before they can react. A group of men approaches the overturned vehicle. The encounter turns deadly. Asha is killed, and Grey suffers a severed spinal cord from a gunshot wound, leaving him paralyzed.

Since the incident, Grey has been hospitalized for three months. He is discharged from the hospital in a wheelchair with permanent quadriplegia. Robotic arms are installed in his home to prepare meals for him using only voice commands, along with other machines, to assist him through his daily life. Grey’s mother, Pamela (Linda Cropper), moves in to take care of him. Grey mourns for the loss of his wife, and feels a deep sense of guilt that he has become a burden for his mother.

Pamela and Grey visit Detective Cortez (Betty Gabriel) at the police station, only to learn that the police are still unable to find the men responsible for the attack and Asha’s death. Detective Cortez explains that the attackers seem to know how to evade police surveillance drones. They’ve built some kind of electronic countermeasure that prevents the drones from identifying their faces.

Returning home, Grey sinks into a deep depression. Consumed by thoughts of his uselessness and the inability to find justice for Asha’s death, he loses the will to live. He tricks the robotic arm that just injected his evening medication, claiming a problem with the injection, asks it to administer the same medicine multiple times, hoping for a fatal overdose. Fortunately, the safeguards programmed into the machine recognize the danger. Instead of complying, it contacts an ambulance to transport him to the hospital.

Grey wakes up in a hospital. Eron visits him, and Grey initially seems irritated by Eron’s lack of normal etiquette. Despite this, Grey finds himself intrigued by the opportunity to walk again offered by Eron using STEM. However, Grey declines Eron’s offer at first, asserting that he doesn’t want to restart his life, he just wants to die. Eventually, Grey changes his mind after Eron persuades him to think of what Asha would want for him.

The operation takes place in secret at Eron’s home. Afterward, Grey’s motor functions heal at an astounding rate. First, his hand regains function, followed by a progressive restoration of movement throughout his body. Finally, Grey can stand and walk again. Eron, however, has one condition. He makes Grey sign a confidentiality agreement, demanding Grey keep the truth about his recovery a secret. Grey must appear paralyzed to everyone around him.

Back home, Grey pores over police records, including the drone surveillance footage of the attack, desperately searching for any clue that might lead to his wife’s killers. Frustration mounts as he finds nothing of use. Suddenly, a voice erupts in his head – STEM. Initially shocked, Grey fears he’s lost his mind. But with STEM’s assistance, he discovers a crucial detail the police missed in the footage. His wife was shot not by a conventional weapon, but by a gun implanted in the attacker’s hand. Another attacker has a distinctive marking on his wrist – a detail lost to the naked eye as a blurry mess, but one that STEM can rebuild with stunning clarity.

With Grey’s consent, STEM takes control of his hands, sketching the reconstructed image with remarkable precision. Grey instantly recognizes the drawing as a military tattoo. He holds the drawing in front of his eyes, prompted by STEM’s request. The chip, with its advanced processing power, can read the information directly. “Serk Brantner Marine Corps,” STEM announces, providing both the name and address.

Grey realizes that STEM has just identified his wife’s murderer. He tries to call Detective Cortez with the information, but STEM intervenes, reminding him of Eron’s strict instructions to keep STEM a secret. Without concrete proof linking Serk to the attack, STEM suggests Grey needs absolute confirmation of Serk’s involvement. Left with no other options, Grey sets out for Serk’s house, determined to find the evidence he needs.

Written and directed by Australian filmmaker Leigh Whannell, UPGRADE is a compelling sci-fi action film with a unique narrative and an incredible performance by Logan Marshall-Green. The film follows a man who is given a second chance at life after a brutal attack leaves him paralyzed and his wife dead. This advanced chip doesn’t just grant him control of his body again, it grants him superhuman strength, speed, and power.

UPGRADE also boasts impressive cinematography and stunning fight choreography. It masterfully blends dark humor into life-or-death situations, and the conversations and interactions between Grey and STEM are consistently entertaining. This film injects fresh air into the AI sci-fi genre, with every aspect meticulously crafted for a truly engaging experience.

UPGRADE premiered at SXSW on 10 March 2018. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 1 June.

The film received a 2-disc release of 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on 4 July 2023.

Disc 1 includes the 4K Master in Dolby Vision (HDR-10 compatible), DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, with audio commentary by writer/director Leigh Whannell.

Disc 2 includes the 4K Master, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, also with audio commentary by writer/director Leigh Whannell. Bonus featurettes include: “Not Action. Not Sci-Fi. More – An Interview with Writer/Director Leigh Whannell,” “Permission Granted – An Interview with Producer Kylie Du Fresne,” “Future Noir – An Interview with Cinematographer Stefan Duscio,” “Hacking Upgrade – An Interview with Editor Andy Canny,” “The Art of Fighting Without Fighting – An Interview with Fight Choreographer Chris Weir,” and the Theatrical Trailer.