T.V Review: Amazon Prime ‘s Upload is everything that’s wrong with the rise of technology and the future

Show: Upload

Network: Amazon Prime

Rating: 4 Stars

Amazon Prime ‘s Upload is the most realistic yet trippy journey through the future we all probably imagine if technology continues its path to coordinate with our daily lives. Upload is based on the fictional life Nathan Brown. The plot of the film is supposed to be satire, although, some of the technology and moments in the film seem a little too real.

Nathan (as the story is centred around) is a promising (tech entrepreneur?) that has apparently built something with a cunningly evil best friend. But quickly Nathan learns that his pal wants to sell their idea, when Nathan himself isn’t quite ready to be a sell-out. Days later, Nathan in an oddly Google-eqsue self-driving car ends up dead after his car is reprogrammed and not obeying his commands.

DEATH TO CAPITALISM?

“UPLOAD” means that Nathan was given a choice at death. Either die because of the crash or be uploaded into the afterlife to live on forever. I watched this after having smoked marijuana — this series had me thinking I was higher than cow pussy. I’m not going to hold you. This series dives right into the mind of a futurist who believes very futurist things.

Thanks to his angel “Nora”, Nathan is able to lead a rather realistic life even in the afterlife.

The premise of the series surrounds the idea that in the future — humans might find themselves deeply embedded within the devices and pieces of technology that we’ve come to love in present day. The series is weirdly set 20 years from now and features everything from self-driving cars; cashier less restaurants, and stores eerily similar to those cashier less Amazon Go stores.

I thought this series had a delightful touch to it though. Touching on the very real fears people have of the rise of capitalism; technology, and the obsessive product placement that occurs within our lives. The series sort of touches on this idea that we as humans are submissive to capitalism and the technology that may go hand-in-hand with it.

It’s like somebody penned the story of the rise off Amazon and how many believe one singular store and its technology will soon dominate much of our world.