Image via Amazon Prime Video
Published Feb 14, 2026, 3:26 PM EST
Rachel LaBonte is an entertainment writer and Rotten Tomatoes–approved critic specializing in film and television. She previously served as a Senior Writer and Editor on Screen Rant’s Core News Team, where she covered major studio releases, franchise films, and top TV series, and later helped build and shape the site’s New Movies vertical.
A graduate of Emerson College with a degree in Media Arts Production and a specialization in screenwriting, Rachel brings both industry knowledge and a strong storytelling background to her coverage. She now writes for Collider, where she continues to analyze the latest movies and television with a critical, audience-focused lens.
The streaming era of television has both pros (near-endless options for shows and boundary-pushing premises) and cons (too much to choose from). Science fiction is perhaps the genre that has benefited the most from streamers' seemingly inexhaustible resources. There are plenty of epics with far-off worlds and mind-bending concepts, like Andor and Severance. Sometimes, though, it's nicer to kick back with a fun, breezy weekend binge that sticks closer to real life. For anyone looking for a show along those lines, your best option is Prime Video's Upload.
What Is 'Upload' About?
Created by Greg Daniels, the man who brought The Office to the U.S., Upload imagines a not-too-distant future where people have the option to save their consciousness in a digital afterlife. When vain computer programmer Nathan (Robbie Amell) is uploaded into the pricey and luxurious afterlife known as Lakeview after an untimely accident, he must quickly adjust to his new reality, which becomes complicated when inconsistencies about his death come to light.
The concept of the afterlife and what it might entail is ripe for endless creative interpretation — in fact, part of Upload's choose-your-own eternal world calls to mind last fall's Eternity — and this series has a blast imagining how its digital world would operate. It considers everything from the silly details, like people and locations glitching due to large amounts of data, to the realistically morbid ones, such as the inclusion of a child, Dylan (Rhys Slack), among Lakeview's residents. Half the humor comes from the absurdity of a digital afterlife — especially one with corporate interests behind it. At one point, the programmers working on Lakeview are told they have to push a new Taco Bell meal that's available for purchase.
As fun as this idea is, it could get old quickly. Thankfully, Upload has more on its mind than recurring gags. The mystery of Nathan's death sustains multiple seasons and quite a few twists, even when it seems to be moving in a predictable direction. Additionally, his relationship with his privileged girlfriend, Ingrid (Allegra Edwards), is complicated by growing feelings for his assigned support "angel" Nora (Andy Allo), who is very much alive while Nathan is stuck in the virtual realm. Underneath all this, Upload is filled with interesting supporting characters, including Nathan's Lakeview pal Luke (Kevin Bigley) and his angel, Aleesha (Zainab Johnson).
'Upload' Tackles Timely Topics With Comedic and Mystery Elements
Season 1 largely keeps its story contained to everything going on with Nathan, Nora, and Ingrid, but subsequent installments — there are four total — expand Upload's world considerably. When it premiered in 2020, it already had some timely themes, but it's actually only become more relevant over the years. As more and more tech companies try to insist that AI is a useful tool that can emulate humans, Upload makes a point of saying that AI can never perfectly replicate reality, particularly through Lakeview's AI avatar (Owen Daniels). The series also grapples with wealth inequality and the greedy practices corporations employ to suck every last dollar out of consumers.
These could be heavy topics in other projects, but Upload always handles them with a light touch that never drags down the story. Across all four seasons — the last of which, it should be said, is only four episodes — the series remains an entertaining, engrossing watch. Some might question how long it takes to reach certain plot developments — such as the full truth behind Nathan's death — but as a binge, it's hardly a problem. Viewers will just want to keep watching to see what happens next.
Though Upload got largely positive reviews during its run and had Daniels' name attached, it never quite reached a significant level of attention. However, one benefit of the streaming era is that it's never a bad time to catch up with something, and people are rediscovering older shows all the time. Since Upload continues to mirror current events, it remains a great watch for anyone who enjoys speculative fiction and vibrant worlds that feel distinct, yet familiar all at once. With winter still in full swing, staying inside and catching up has never sounded better.
English (US) ·