The Matrix movies have revolutionised modern sci-fi while establishing Keanu Reeves as an action star. Set in a dystopian future where humans battle it out with machines and computer programs, The Matrix movies dabble in multiple realities and often bridges the gap between what is real and what is just an illusion.
To keep a track of the Matrix franchise in order, our guide below helps you explore this innovative sci-fi world. We show you how to find these movies on streaming online along with all the offers to buy and rent them.
How to watch The Matrix movies in chronological order
- The Animatrix (2003)
- The Matrix (1999)
- The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
- The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
- The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
The Animatrix is a collection of nine animated shorts that dive deeper into the Matrix lore. It explores how the machine war began, various backstories, and the fate of people trapped within the Matrix. Watching it after the original movie provides rich context and world-building.
Start with the original movie that launched the franchise. The Matrix introduces Neo (Keanu Reeves), a hacker who learns the truth about reality and his role in a war against intelligent machines. Known for groundbreaking visual effects, like bullet-dodging and “bullet time,” this film remains a sci-fi classic and sets the groundwork for the whole storyline.
Next, watch The Matrix Reloaded, which builds on Neo’s journey as he faces stronger threats from the machines and uncovers more secrets within the Matrix. This film expands the story with additional characters and intense action sequences.
Conclude the original trilogy with The Matrix Revolutions, which brings Neo’s journey and humanity’s struggle to a dramatic conclusion. It’s essential for wrapping up the storyline and understanding the evolution of Neo’s character and his relationship with the machines.
Set many years after Revolutions, The Matrix Resurrections revisits Neo and Trinity in surprising circumstances. The film introduces a fresh perspective on Neo's story and tackles themes of memory and identity. It’s a nostalgic and meta revisit of the series that both continues and reinterprets the original narrative.
Viewing in this order offers a comprehensive look at the franchise’s story, from Neo’s awakening to the complex, expanded universe of The Matrix.
How to watch The Matrix movies in release order
The release order of watching The Matrix franchise is roughly the same as the chronological order. The only difference is that The Animatrix was released after the first two Keanu Reeves movies (even though it’s canonically set before them both).
The guide below shows you all the streaming platforms where you can watch, buy or rent the The Matrix movies in India.
