How to Watch the Matrix Movies in Order

Red or blue pill? Unplug and find out

By
Jerri Ledford
Jerri Ledford
Jerri Ledford
Senior News Editor, Fact Checker
  • Western Kentucky University
  • Gulf Coast Community College
Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others.
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Updated on May 10, 2023
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What to Know

  • To watch the Matrix movies in chronological order, watch The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, and The Matrix Resurrections.
  • To watch the Matrix movies in true chronological order, you'll have to watch them in the context of the nine animated Animatrix films also created by the Wachowskis.

How often have you looked through your window and wondered if the world you live in is just in your mind? Any number at all puts you squarely in the Matrix club, where Neo (Keanu Reeves), Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne), and Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss) explore the reality that what they believed was real was, in fact, not. These Matrix movies have fascinated watchers since their release, and there's no better time than the present to binge through the whole series.

How to Watch the Matrix Movies in Release Order

If you're only tangentially familiar with the Matrix movies, then you probably are wondering what more is there to know. The truth is, just like with the Matrix, there's more than meets the eye. That's because The Matrix Trilogy and the 2021 Matrix sequel are just the tip of the iceberg.

Though the four main Matrix movies, The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, and The Matrix Resurrections, were released in chronological order, the Wachowskis, who are responsible for writing and directing the films, also created nine other animated films which fall under the series The Animatrix, and are part of the Matrix story.

In addition to The Matrix Trilogy, the 2021 Matrix sequel, and the Animatrix movies, three games go along with the series. Enter the Matrix (2003), The Matrix Online (2005), and The Matrix: Path of Neo (2005) are separate from this discussion of the films, but you should know they do exist.

Knowing this, when you're ready to binge on The Matrix movies, you should first watch The Matrix Trilogy and the 2021 sequel The Matrix Resurrections, and then go back and watch The Animatrix movies and The Matrix movies in chronological order.

Movie Description Where to Watch
The Matrix (1999) The first movie in The Matrix trilogy introduces you to Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves), who later becomes Neo. Neo learns that his life is not his own and that he's living through his thoughts guided by machines. Soon, Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss) bring him out of his thoughts and into the real world, where they and other rebels must fight in a war for humanity against the machines trying to control them. Amazon Prime Video, Max
The Matrix Reloaded (2003) The Matrix Reloaded takes place six months after The Matrix. In this movie, the original characters are defending against an attack on Zion as they try to locate the Keymaker, who can help them access the source of the Matrix. Amazon Prime Video, Max
The Matrix Revolutions (2003) The Matrix Revolutions follows immediately in the timeline. The group continues to defend against the attack on Zion, and Neo must find a way to defeat Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) to save the world. Amazon Prime Video, Max
The Matrix Resurrections (2021) The Matrix Resurrections is set 60 years after Revolutions and follows Neo, now back to being Mr. Anderson, who is once again pondering if his reality is a construct. Neo and Trinity must reunite to defeat a far more powerful and deadly Matrix. Amazon Prime Video, Max

How to Watch the Matrix Movies in Chronological Order

Once you've seen the original three movies in The Matrix Trilogy and the follow-up fourth installment, The Matrix Resurrections, you can go back and watch the whole series, including the animated shorts, from beginning to end to gain more context and insight into the films. Here's how to watch all those movies, including The Matrix Trilogy, The Matrix Resurrections, and The Animatrix movies, in chronological order.

You'll find all of The Animatrix short films in a single rental from Amazon Prime. You'll need to watch through them, pause, watch the movies where appropriate, and then go back to where you left off in The Animatrix to follow along on this guide.

Movie Release Date Where to Watch
The Animatrix: The Second Renaissance, Part 1 & Part 2 2003 Amazon Prime Video
The Animatrix: A Detective Story 2003 Amazon Prime Video
The Matrix 1999 Amazon Prime Video, Max
The Animatrix: Kid's Story 2003 Amazon Prime Video
The Animatrix: Final Flight of the Osiris 2003 Amazon Prime Video
The Matrix Reloaded 2003 Amazon Prime Video, Max
The Matrix Revolutions 2003 Amazon Prime Video, Max
The Animatrix: Beyond 2003 Amazon Prime Video
The Animatrix: World Record 2003 Amazon Prime Video
The Animatrix: Matriculated 2003 Amazon Prime Video
The Animatrix: Program 2003 Amazon Prime Video
The Matrix Resurrections 2021 Amazon Prime Video, Max
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