UPGRADED -- An Adequate, Familiar, and Forgettable Romantic Comedy

Review by Camden Ferrell

Carlson Young might be known to most for her acting work in various movies and shows, but she is now returning to the director’s chair for her second feature film. Her first movie she’s directed without acting in, Upgraded is a new romantic comedy from writers Chrstine Lenig, Justin Matthews, and Luke Spencer Roberts. While the film is certainly bearable and adequate, it also is painfully cliché and feels like every other film you’ve seen in this genre before.
 
Ana is an art intern, struggling to make ends meet as she tries to get noticed by her prolific and intimidating boss Claire. Through some good fortune, she finds herself on a trip to London as Claire’s assistant to help with a high-profile art auction. Here, she meets William, who mistakes her for her boss, and this misunderstanding spirals into a situation that Ana tries to control all while dealing with love and her career in the art industry. It’s a cheesy setup that’s been done before, and based on the premise alone, most people will probably be able to predict each narrative beat that this movie will hit.
 
The script is passable. Void of any laugh out loud moments, it still keeps the general vibe light and easy for consumption. As mentioned before, it’s about as standard as these romcom scripts come, and that’s either a good or bad thing depending on your unique tastes. However, if you’re looking for a movie that’s subversive or distinct in any way, this might leave you with something to desire.

The acting in this movie, like everything else, is just fine. Camila Mendes leads the film as Ana and while she has a natural charm, it’s not enough to breathe energy into this production. Her performance is about the same as the other performances of hers that I’ve seen. Archie Renaux is also adequately charming as her handsome British love interest but isn’t anything memorable. The highest profile actor in this film is Maris Tomei who plays Claire, and even she doesn’t do much to be notable in the movie either. There really aren’t any bad performances in this, but there certainly isn’t anything that’ll stand out to viewers in particular.
 
Even though this film is a dime a dozen, it still has that mindless romcom charm that is occasionally just irresistible. It’s undemanding and cheesy in every way one could expect, but it’s still relatively enjoyable and breezy to get through. There’s nothing I’ll remember about this down the line, but there are worse ways to pass nearly two hours.
 
Upgraded is a new romcom that will definitely satisfy diehard fans of the genre. Casual fans might be moderately entertained at best by the familiar beats and cheesy story. Young’s direction works for the type of movie this is, but it would be nice to see her develop her own unique voice in whatever genre she does next. There’s nothing particularly memorable about this movie and for the most part, that’s fine.
 
Upgraded is streaming on Amazon Prime February 9.
 
Rating: 3/5