Review: New Rom-Com ‘Upgraded’ Unsurprisingly Falls Short
By Reo Lee
Another year, another unrealistically cliche and toe-cringing rom-com launching just in time for Valentine’s Day. Strangers sitting next to each other coincidentally? Check. Opposites attract? Double check. Handsome billionaire and poor struggling working girl? Triple check. Filled to the brim with every possible trope in the handbook of romances, “Upgraded” tells a story of two opposites being intertwined through a misunderstanding spiraling into lies. Groundbreaking? No, but romantic comedies rarely are.
“Upgraded,” a 2024 Amazon Prime original starring Camila Mendez (Ana Santos) and Archie Renaux (William Laroche), premiered on Feb. 9.
Equipped with a Masters of Art and a fiery passion for classy art pieces, Ana is the poster child for a prototypical starving artist living in New York City. While mooching off her engaged sister’s small apartment futon, she struggles to impress her perfectionist boss Claire. Director of a famous art auctioning company, Claire is everything Ana wants to be: successful, rich and surrounded by timeless art.
Although Ana’s struggles as an ambitious but student-loan debt-ridden narrative are relatable, her somewhat pretentious dialogues about artworks make her slightly unlikable. Similarly, the over-the-top portrayal of her eccentric boss Claire feels uncomfortable and forced. Instead of giving off a sophisticated, chic touch, Claire’s accent is reminiscent of the animated character Edna Mode.
When an opportunity arises to be third assistant on Claire’s last-minute business trip to London, Ana jumps at the chance like there is no tomorrow. In true Cinderella fashion, she even gets upgraded to her first-ever first-class flight experience. Again, while highly unrealistic that a random flight attendant will go the extra mile for a random girl, it’s to be expected in a rom-com.
In the air, Ana meets her perfectly coincidental seat partner Wiliam Laroche, a Londoner traveling back home. He is also conveniently the same guy she accidentally dumped her bloody mary on at the airport lounge. The two start with a playful banter that morphs into a naturally flirty conversion, chemistry very, very evident. This is where the trouble starts to brew (so easy to foreshadow, did the writers even try to do anything remotely new?).
William mistakes Ana for being her boss, Claire. Instead of correcting him, she plays into the misunderstanding and claims herself to be the youngest art director in the world. This starts a train of lies upon lies on top of more lies, as Ana truly starts living the Hannah Montana life.
Cue the super cliche montages of a hardworking assistant by day, a rich and successful art director by night. Close calls of being exposed are cleverly handled, each instance becoming more anxiety-inducing to watch. The juxtaposition of the lavish dates spent with William and the busy secretarial work of being an assistant is nothing new in romance, but enjoyable to watch.
The way the story gradually unfolds is straightforward, and the plot line is easily digestible. The two leads have enough chemistry on screen, and a wide array of supplemental characters do a good job of supporting the main characters’ progress in the story.
Overall, the sweetness of the good-looking couple’s romance balanced by the chaotic progression of Ana’s personal growth and career path takes audience members on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. Though it can be enjoyable for a one-time watch on a lazy afternoon, “Upgraded” is most definitely not the best rom-com to binge this Valentine’s season.
Final Rating: ★★★☆☆
Starring: Camila Mendes, Archie Renaux, Marisa Tomei, Lena Olin, Anthony Head
Director: Carlson Young
Rated: R for language
Running time: 1 hour, 44 minutes
Premiere: February 9, 2024
Platforms: Amazon Prime Video (no theatrical release)
