The Big Picture

• The Matrix Resurrections explores Neo's new reality as a game developer, reigniting love and challenging ethical dilemmas.
• Neo's return justifies itself with a vulnerable performance that questions past sacrifices and new threats.
• The meta storyline wrestles with the franchise's legacy and presents complex ethical quandaries, making it the most sincere movie in the series.

The Matrix had a seismic impact on popular culture when it first debuted in the spring of 1999. In an era where science fiction fandom was dominated by the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises, The Matrix presented a bold new universe that merged the influences of neo-noir mystery thrillers, Japanese animation, cyberpunk futurism, and even Greek philosophy. While the film’s game-changing fight choreography and visual effects inspired countless imitators, The Matrix landed with a significant impact because of its pro-humanist message. The immense popularity of The Matrix made it significantly challenging for the film’s sequels to live up to the high expectations that fans had.

While 2003’s duo of The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions were not lacking in spectacle, the emphasis on expanding the world-building served to somewhat dilute what had made the first film so special. Despite some interesting new characters and shocking plot twists about the prophecy of “The One,” The Matrix Revolutions ended on a down note that signified the series had come to a close. Despite what felt like a definitive conclusion, Lana Wachowski’s 2021 sequel The Matrix Resurrections was an ambitious legacy sequel that emphasizes the themes of the first film.

What Is ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ About?

Set many years after a fragile peace between mankind and machines was reached in The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Resurrections opens in a new simulated reality that recontextualizes the events of the previous trilogy. Despite appearing to sacrifice himself in the battle with Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), Neo (Keanu Reeves) has been kept alive in a reality where he is Thomas Anderson, the creator of a popular video game known as The Matrix. Neo is reunited with Trinity (Carrie Anne-Moss) but does not know the deeper connection they share. However, Neo begins to retain his memories after the gunslinger Bugs (Jessica Henwick) and a resurrected version of his mentor Morpheus (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) extract him from the simulated reality and once again gives him the “red pill” that exposes his mind to the larger world.

Abdul-Mateen II and Henwick give very charismatic performances that instantly prove them worthy of joining the franchise’s vast array of heroes. However, the greatest success of The Matrix Resurrections is its justification of Neo’s return. There was no need to bring back Reeves in the role if it was only to evoke nostalgia, but The Matrix Resurrections succeeds in bringing back Neo to the vulnerable place he was at in the beginning of the first film. Upon realizing that mankind is once again at war with the machines, Neo is left to question whether his initial sacrifice had any lasting ramifications. Reeves was able to show a more grizzled, vulnerable side to the character as he became trapped within the mundanity of the simulation.

Although living up to the precedent that Weaving set was no easy task, The Matrix Resurrections introduces compelling new villains to the franchise. Neil Patrick Harris’ performance as a new Analyst that disguises himself as Neo’s therapist serves as a far more personal threat compared to previous antagonists in the series; he is able to prey upon Neo’s insecurities and force him to admit his complex feelings about being deemed a savior. Similarly, Jonathan Groff gives a scenery-chewing performance as a new version of Smith who has been resurrected as Neo’s business partner. Groff merges the persona of a greedy corporate drone with the monotone animosity that Weaving had added to the character.

The Meta Approach Worked for ‘The Matrix Resurrections'

With its storyline involving Neo’s new role as a successful game designer, The Matrix Resurrections developed a meta storyline that allowed Wachowski to wrestle with the complex legacy of the first film. In The Matrix Resurrections, the franchise itself has become a commodity, which both Neo and Wachowski are forced to reckon with. Neo’s decision to return and re-accept his role as “The One” signifies that Wachowski was genuinely passionate about giving him a proper sendoff.

The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions delved deeper into the fundamental battle between good and evil, but The Matrix Resurrections presented more complex ethical quandaries. Upon realizing that he and Trinity must remake The Matrix, Neo begins to recognize that all victory comes with a burden of responsibility. The introduction of machines that fight for the forces of good similarly suggests that the divisions in The Matrix are less black-and-white than they had once been considered to be.

‘The Matrix Resurrections’ Is the Most Sincere Movie in the Series

Some truly outstanding sequences of hand-to-hand combat rival the achievements of the original trilogy, but at its heart, The Matrix Resurrections is a love story. While typical “hero’s journey” narratives center upon the importance of self-sacrifice, Neo recognizes by the end of The Matrix Resurrections that it is his love for Trinity that gives him power. United, they are more powerful than they are apart. The film does not characterize empathy as a flaw, rather, it’s the purity of Neo and Trinity’s feelings for each other that distinguishes them from the machines.

While Drew Goddard is now working on a new installment in the series, The Matrix Resurrection does not end with an obvious setup for future sequels. It tells a standalone story that reinterprets Neo’s story, giving him a graceful return without offering any definitive conclusions about his next adventures. The Matrix Resurrections may have been intentionally divisive, but it couldn’t be more befitting of a franchise that has always been defined by its boldness.

The Matrix Resurrections is streaming on Netflix in the U.S.

Watch on Netflix