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Parents' Guide to

Upload

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Mature dystopian comedy about tech, humanity, and murder.

TV Amazon Prime Video Comedy 2020
Upload Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 18+

Based on 12 parent reviews

annamagsharp
annamagsharp Adult
April 29, 2021
age 18+

The rating is a lie on prime video

When I watch movies I always look at the rating because of my children. If I had actually watched this with my children present I would have been pissed. The rating on the prime video app for this show only says 16+ foul language and violence. The very first episode had a sex scene where no body parts show but it was obvious what was going on and another set scene that shows a woman on top humping while the side of her body and breast show. It is horrible that prime video did not add sexual content. Therefore the rating is extremely misleading. I am giving this review as too much sex only because it does not notify you of this in the advisory.
Parent 225
Parent 225 Adult
May 12, 2020
age 18+

Thought-provoking but not for kids

This would be a fun, discussion-provoking show for families with older children to watch together BUT for the totally unnecessary visuals of explicit sex. I would say, moments of this show would qualify as pornography.
See all 12 parent reviews

What's the Story?

From the creator of The Office comes UPLOAD, a futuristic dark comedy that offers a glimpse of what heaven could like in the not-so-distant future. It's 2033, and Nora Antony (Andy Allo) is a customer service representative for the Horizon Lakeview virtual reality hotel, one of the more luxurious VR hotels available for folks to live in digital eternity. When Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell), a 20-something Los Angeles coder, is uploaded to Lakeview after being involved in a self-driving car crash in Los Angeles, Nora is assigned to him as his "angel" and gently tries to guide his transition into cyberheaven. It's a nice place, but Nathan's activities are limited by Lakeview's strict rules, and by his still-living girlfriend, Ingrid (Allegra Edwards), who is financing his afterlife in hopes of joining him later. Meanwhile, his new digital friend Luke (Kevin Bigley) continues to remind him of how dysfunctional their artificial lives are. But Nora, who wants to qualify for an employee discount, is going out of her way to support her new client. She soon finds herself getting more involved with Nathan than expected, and uncovers information that suggests that her new client's death may not have been accidental.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (12 ):
Kids say (17 ):

This fun comedy series mixes the elements of dystopian sci-fi with a good murder mystery to produce a story world with a strong cynical edge. It not-so-subtly points to a near future in which technology plays a part in every part of our lives (and if you can afford it, our afterlives), but without reducing the need for human connections. In doing so, it relies on everyday contemporary experiences to keep the story going, whether it be creating a virtual hotel experience where clients are encouraged to spend more money on perks, or allowing major tech-driven retail corporations to take over our lives.

Upload isn't as sharply written as some of creator Greg Daniels' other work (think Parks and Recreation), but it still offers a fair share of laugh-worthy moments. Meanwhile, the human connection established between Nathan and Nora, and the whodunit mystery that evolves as a result, gives the show a sense of purpose that goes beyond pointing out how dysfunctional our lives may potentially get as we attempt to replace reality with digital inventiveness. Overall, it's a smart and entertaining binge-worthy series that's worth tuning in to.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Upload portrays our society less than two decades into our future. According to the show, what impact will the way that we use digital technology today to learn, socialize, and do other things have on our society in 2033? Is this a good or bad thing?

  • What technological advances would you like to see in 20 years? Which ones do you think we should do without? Are there ways that we can prevent certain technological improvements and upgrades from happening?

TV Details

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