Invisible Man Director's Underseen Sci-Fi Thriller Finds New Success On Netflix 6 Years Later

Summary Netflix viewers discover underrated gem with sci-fi thriller Upgrade, landing it in global top 10.

Despite low box office, Upgrade received critical acclaim with 88% ratings from audiences and critics.

Success of director Leigh Whannell's other film The Invisible Man may have sparked recognition for Upgrade.

The sci-fi thriller Upgrade finds success on the Netflix charts. Released in 2018, the Leigh Whannell futuristic film chronicles a story wherein technology is an omnipotent force over life. It takes Grey (played by Logan Marshall-Green), a self-declared technophobe, in order to challenge the system, and his own life strategies, through an experimental computer chip implant. In addition to Marshall-Green, Upgrade features a leading cast including Melanie Vallejo, Steve Danielsen, Abby Craden, Harrison Gilbertson, Benedict Hardie, Richard Cawthorne, and Christopher Kirby.

Now, Upgrade has made its way onto the Netflix global top 10. Upgrade came in no. 6 on the charts for the week of May 13 to May 19, with 2.9 million views. Topping the list this week were Mother of the Bride at no. 1 (25.4 million views), Madame Web at no. 2 (10.8 million views), and Disturbia at no. 3 (7.7 million views). There were also four animated films on the list this week, including Thelma the Unicorn, Shrek, Sonic the Hedgehog, and The Boss Baby.

How Was Upgrade Received In Theaters?

Upgrade’s success comes as a bit of surprise, because the film was underrated when it came to theaters. Upgrade made only $16.5 million at the global box office upon its 2018 release. Its budget was an estimated $5 million, so its performance did over triple the budget. Thus, Upgrade was not a complete box office failure, but it did underperform such that very few people got the chance to see the sci-fi thriller when it was in theaters.

Despite the relatively low theatrical box office, Upgrade did fairly well critically at the time of its release. The film ended up scoring an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a sizable 192 reviews at the time of writing. Audiences like Upgrade too, giving it an identical score of 88%. These relatively high ratings might be a good reason that Upgrade is being rediscovered again, despite its low box office. Those looking for quality sci-fi may have come across Upgrade on lists of underrated works.

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Another reason for Upgrade’s recognition is the success of director Whannell in the years following. Just before the pandemic hit in 2020, Whannell helmed a well-regarded remake of The Invisible Man. Made on a similarly-small $7 million, The Invisible Man made back its money with much to spare, grossing $144.4 million at the worldwide box office. Thus, The Invisible Man might give more spotlight to the director’s other work, explaining the delayed success for Upgrade.

Source: Netflix