Upgraded Movie Review: Cliches and a familiar template fail to create much resonance

Is it inevitable that romantic comedies follow a tried and tested formula—or is it just as they often talk of, ‘destiny’? The true upgrade on this genre would be a fresh take on the classic meet-cute narrative, but despite its title, the latest rom-com on Prime Video, Upgraded, doesn’t quite bring anything new to the table and is comfortable to rest on cliches. But then, a template became a template for a reason, and so, despite the flaws, the film always exudes a sense of passion and offers some generic joys.

Director: Carlson Young
cast: Camila Mendes, Archie Renaux, Marisa Tomei Lena Olin
Streamer: Prime Video

In most romantic comedies, the couple typically meets under unusual circumstances. This is the case here too, as Ana (Camila Mendes) meets William (Archie Renaux) on a flight from New York to London. Ana is lucky enough to have upgraded from an economy to a business class ticket. Up till then, we learn that Ana lives in a one-room apartment with her sister and her fiancé, and that they are urging her to move out.

The opening scene of Upgraded features a close-up shot of an abstract painting. Ana describes it as resembling a swan. However, the movie doesn't resort to mocking such interpretations for the sake of humour. Instead, this passion Ana carries is never reduced to a one-liner or a situational joke. It’s the passion that never gets diluted to any other narrative choice, and sometimes, it even takes precedence over the love angle. This is great, but the film fails to truly explore this for a deeper resolution and settles instead for a contrived happily ever after.

Perhaps the biggest problem is how this ostensible love story fails to evoke emotion. This is perhaps because such stories are overdone—and how there’s little originality to the plot. This betrays a weakness in the writing, as the story seems to be searching for conflict to move forward. When conflicts do arise, they feel forced and predictable, failing to blend seamlessly with the narrative. Although the lead character has her purpose in driving the film forward, when the rest of the characters contribute to the plot, there is little inventiveness. For example, the first two assistants of Anna's boss, Claire (played by Marisa Tomei), feel like replicas of characters we have seen in countless other stories, who exist solely to make the lead character's life more difficult. Both lead characters should be equally important when a romantic comedy is made. However, in this case, Ana is carrying the film while William gets sidelined without reason, and his presence often feels forced and raises questions about the film's identity as a romantic comedy.

Despite these issues, Upgraded does manage to touch upon the politics of camaraderie among women. It highlights the fact that success has its own meaning when women achieve it in a man's world. This subtlety could have worked wonders for the film had it not been presented in such a formulaic way. The story's fulcrum is Ana's love for her profession, and yet, films are still more inclined to force the lead actors to fall in love. Shouldn't love find its way rather than being forced into the narrative? It’s perhaps this angle that deserves the most upgrade.