Noah Thompson’s review published on Letterboxd:
It's time to cut out the cancer.
James Wan's Upgrade. That is literally everything I want to say about the film's plot, and even that I think may be saying a little too much. Malignant is getting a shorter review from me because this is one of those movies you need to go into completely blind. If you don't know the premise, haven't seen any footage from it, but you like horror, then watch this. It's very fun, very bloody, and features one of the most unique horror villains I've seen from a modern horror feature. The opening sequence is also one of the most intriguing I've seen from a recent release in awhile, where even if you go into this with expectations, they're getting chucked right out the fucking window, and you will be at the mercy of Wan's movie magic. He directs the shit out of this, and I came to really like how most of the dialogue is so blunt and even bad in a way that's completely intentional and feels like it hasn't been allowed within a studio horror film since the nineties. (Think Elm Street 2.) From that beginning, it goes through the motions with some good scares and even better violence, and just when you have it pegged, and for me it's the sluggish transition from the second act to the third that keeps this from a higher rating, that third act does come along and if you're like me, your eyeballs are going to blast right out of your head and you're hooked all over again. For an immensely enjoyable mix of gore and WTF horror, this is the good shit. Would, possibly will, gladly rewatch this next month.
7.5/10
