Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Upgrade 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 10, 2023

Shout! Factory has released the 2018 Techno-Action film 'Upgrade' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video and a Blu-ray with tweaked video. Additionally, this set includes new supplemental content that was not included on the original Universal Blu-ray which was released in 2018. These new discs appear to contain the same 5.1 lossless soundtrack found on the previous Universal issue.

Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green) is an old-fashioned, hands-on sort who's finds the future's increasingly efficient technology that so often removes the human hand from the equation to be less than ideal. But his wife Asha (Melanie Vallejo) is the opposite, riding in a self-driving car and enjoying the fruits of more free time for herself and her husband. Grey restores classic cars for a living, and he insists that Asha accompany him on the delivery of his latest project to a wealthy tech visionary named Eron Keen (Harrison Gilbertson) who has invented STEM, a radical new technology that promises to revolutionize the integration of man and machine. On the way home, Asha's self-driving car malfunctions and crashes. Quickly after the accident, the two are pulled from the car. Asha is murdered and Grey is left paralyzed, his spine deliberately severed by the assailants. Some time later, the wheelchair bound Grey, unable to emotionally continue with his life, attempts suicide by overdose. He awakens in the hospital to find Eron who is offering him the opportunity to join with STEM and regain the use of his body and his life. He reluctantly agrees to the operation and awakens to suddenly find himself able to move again. He's also in communication with STEM. STEM immediately proves valuable, discovering clues in the evidence police detective Cortez (Betty Gabriel) has left for Grey to study. As Grey, with STEM's help, tracks down his wife's killers, he begins to realize that there's more to the AI's motivation than simply helping him solve a murder.

For a full film review, please click here.

Upgrade 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from the bundled 1080p Blu-ray disc.

This UHD release of Upgrade includes not only the new UHD disc but also a new Blu-ray disc. A few words on that 1080p disc first. The image appears to be texturally identical to the old Universal release; there's no tangible boost to sharpness, clarity, or anything of the sort. The only difference here is a slightly different color timing. The image is a little warmer overall. Contrast sees slight gains and temperature appears mildly boosted. Blacks are deeper and colors overall slightly bolstered. It's a nicer look for the film. Alone the Blu-ray is not worth the upgrade, so to speak, but to be sure it's a superior image, even if only incrementally.

Of course, the real highlight in this package is the UHD disc. The question, though, is whether it's actually a major upgrade from the Blu-ray. the answer is not really. The Blu-ray looks terrific, and the UHD looks solid, too, featuring 2160p resolution and Dolby Vision color grading. The textural boosts compared to the Blu-ray are fairly minor. The image is slightly clearer and sharper. There's very little gain to overall clarity, textural sharpness, and the like. Mild gains to clothing definition and facial features in close-up are clearly noted, but not dramatic. There is definitely a very obvious gain to clarity. This is best described, texturally, as a finessed presentation. It amplifies the already excellent Blu-ray and yields the best picture currently available, but fans should not expect the sort of extensive increase that might be found on other images.

The Dolby Vision grading is likewise something of a finessing of the color palette. It's brighter, yet at the same time tones are deeper and more refined. It's a bit punchier and more vivid, offering more intense highlights and deeper shadow elements that never reach crush. The sense of color accuracy is bolstered, but again to a more refined level rather than a redefining level. The Dolby Vision grading is certainly a little more prominent in its overall amplification than are the textural elements, but this alone is worth the move to UHD for serious fans of the film.

Upgrade 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There appears to be no obvious sonic differences between the original Universal DTS track and those included on both the Blu-ray and the UHD. Below is the original audio review from the Universal disc.

Upgrade may feature an "antiquated" DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack (as opposed to one with more channels at its disposal), but the presentation leaves little need for added channel bolstering. The robotically read "titles" at the beginning filter through the rear side with chilling depth and pronouncement. Those are followed by very aggressive, throaty engine revs when Grey tests out the newly rebuilt Trans Am. There is some terrific reverb throughout the stage, prominently in the rears, in Eron's house in chapter two. Indeed, it takes little time for a diverse collection of sound elements to stretch and test every channel, and the track only gets better with time. There are some high quality atmospherics integrated throughout, little things like distant sounds of dripping water in chapter seven. The track presents a number of hard-edged, industrial type sounds that tear through the speakers with chilling efficiency and vitality and plenty of room-filling aggression. Gunfire in chapter 14 is impressively tight and deep. Dialogue is well pronounced throughout, whether general human speech or the slightly more deep and dense and mildly reverberating STEM speech, which only Grey can hear.

Upgrade 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unlike Universal's featureless Blu-ray, this release of Upgrade include a slew of supplemental content, all of which is on the Blu-ray disc; no extras appear on the UHD disc, save for the audio commentary track, which is included on both discs. No digital copy code is included with purchase. This release does not appear to ship with a slipcover.

• Audio Commentary: Director Leigh Wannell verbally journeys through the film with excellent insight, balancing straightforward comments with keen insight into the technical and thematic details behind the film. Available on both the Blu-ray and the UHD discs.
• Not Action. Not Sci-Fi. More: An Interview with Leigh Wannell (1080p, 29:45): A lengthy conversation in which the Upgrade filmmaker discusses the paramount importance of ideas in moviemaking. He also covers general movie and behind the scenes material, the technology seen in the film, the creative process behind the film, working with Blumhouse, the film's setting, style and fight choreography, performances, technical challenges, shooting locales, and much more.
• Permission Granted: An Interview with Producer Kylie du Fresne (1080p, 14:15): Working with Blumhouse, action, cast and crew, production design, shooting locales, and more.
• Future Noir: An Interview with Cinematographer Stefan Duscio (1080p, 14:12): Cinematic influences, shooting details (cameras and lenses), stunt work, and more.
• Hacking Upgrade: An Interview with Editor Andy Canny (1080p, 8:34): Canny discusses his draw to the script, favorite sequences, audience response, working with Leigh Wannell, and more.
• The Art of Fighting Without Fighting: An Interview with Fight Choreographer Chris Weir (1080p, 8:04): Exploring fights through actor performances, chorography, practical work, and more.
• Trailer (1080p, 2:21).

Upgrade 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Upgrade evolves from a moving portrait of a wounded man to a fascinating story of flesh and tech symbiosis to a revenge tale and finally to an extremely satisfying twist ending that violently and cautiously speaks to the dangers of the merging of man and machine. The end twist evolves several times over several minutes, leaving this reviewer, anyway, thrilled, angered (which included a literal yell of disbelief and disappointment at the screen), and thrilled again within a matter of moments. Whannell may have already made a name for himself with Saw and Insidious, but he's made himself into a visionary with Upgrade and into one of this reviewer's favorite filmmakers. This is a wonderfully realized and executed picture. Shout! Factory's new UHD release is a must own. While the UHD does not offer a substantial gain over the original Blu-ray, it is certainly the best currently available version of the film, especially for the Dolby Vision color grading. The audio track remains fantastic and the many new extras are welcome and necessary. Highly recommended!