Film Review: ‘Upgraded’
The Devil Wears Prada meets The Other Zoey in this light-hearted, predictable rom-com
Film: Upgraded. Year: 2024. Genre: Comedy/Romance. Director: Carlson Young.
Making a surprising rom-com these days has proven to be extremely hard. Not only because there’s only so much you can do with the genre but also because we’ve seen it all. From a woman finally deciding that her unexpected Prince Charming has been right in front of her (Clueless, The Beauty and the Briefcase) to a man and woman being sworn enemies but eventually finding love with each other (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, The Proposal) to movies about forbidden love (Romeo and Juliet, The Notebook) to friends-to-lovers films (Single All the Way, One Day), it’s all been done before. Sadly, that’s proven again in the latest movie by director Carlson Young (The Blazing World). While her light-hearted Upgraded certainly has some beautiful twists and an excellent chemistry between the leads (kudos to Camila Mendes and Archie Renaux), the movie can’t elevate the rom-com genre to new heights.
Desperate to impress her cold-hearted Miranda Priestley-wanna-be boss Claire (Marisa Tomei) and to open her art gallery one day, the underpaid but overworked intern Ana (Mendes) would do just about anything she could. To ensure she can achieve her dreams…
