As the guy behind the scripts forSawandInsidious,Leigh Whannellhas come up with his fair share of killer ideas for movies, but for his next project,Upgrade, he’s heading into the realm of sci-fi and it looks like it might just be his most entertaining movie yet. The film starsThe InvitationstarLogan Marshall-Greenas Grey Trace, a man whose wife is murdered in front of his eyes in a mugging that also leaves him paralyzed. Hungry for revenge, Trace is approached by a billionaire investor who offers him an experimental cure to his paralysis with an implant called STEM, but the implant offers a lot more than a pair of working legs and when he starts to explore the newfound possibilities, he becomes a high-tech killing machine.
Upgradepremiered at SXSW, where it earned a round of favorable reviews and good buzz from audiences, and the first trailer makes it easy to see why — this thing looks like a blast. The set-pieces look clever as hell, and Whannell is clearly excited to play in the sci-fi world he built. There’s a cheeky gore gag in here that would be enough to get me in the seat alone. What’s more, while Marshall-Green is most recognizable for his supporting turns inPrometheusandSpider-Man: Homecoming,he proved he can be a powerhouse withThe Invitationand it looks like he’s doing some first-rate physical performing inUpgrade. In addition to penning the script, Whannell also directs and I can’t wait to see what he does with this one.
Upgradealso starsGet Out’sBetty Gabrieland arrives in theaters on August 22, 2025. Watch the red band trailer below, followed by the green band trailer if you want the tame version for some weird reason.
Here’s the official synopsis forUpgrade:
“UPGRADE is a thrilling and hyper violent vision of the future from the producers of GET OUT and THE PURGE, and the creator of SAW and INSIDIOUS.
After his wife is killed during a brutal mugging that also leaves him paralyzed, Grey Trace (Logan Marshall Green, SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, PROMETHEUS) is approached by a billionaire inventor with an experimental cure that will “upgrade” his body. The cure - an Artificial Intelligence implant called STEM - gives Grey physical abilities beyond anything experienced and the ability to relentlessly claim vengeance against those who murdered his wife and left him for dead.”
