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In December 2021, The Matrix Resurrections will open in theaters and welcome audiences back into the mind-bending and action-packed universe created bystanders the Wachowskis nearly a quarter-century ago. But before you flock to your local movie house to see the return of Keanu Reeves’ Neo for yourself, you will probably want to go back and see how it all got started. This is actually easier than it sounds as you can watch all of The Matrix movies streaming in the same the place, creating an ideal situation to marathon the original 1999 groundbreaking sci-fi flick and its two sequels — The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. To make things even easier, we’ve put together a quick guide show you how and where you can get caught up with Neo’s story thus far.
The Matrix (1999)
In his quest to find the mysterious and potentially dangerous Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), computer hacker Neo (Keanu Reeves) is given a choice: take the blue pill and go back to what he thinks is reality or take the red pill and uncover the truth behind the Matrix and become "The One."
Rent/Buy The Matrix on Amazon.
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The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
With the help of Morpheus, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), and countless others in the real world and the Matrix, Neo leads a multi-faceted revolt against the machines that are holding humanity prisoner. Neo will also have to face a rogue Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), who is determined to take out everyone and everything in his path after freeing himself from the restrictions that once prevented him from stopping Neo from reaching his true potential.
Stream The Matrix Reloaded on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy The Matrix Reloaded on Amazon.
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
In the final showdown of the original Matrix trilogy, Neo finds himself trapped in a state of limbo between the real world and the fabrication created by the machines as what’s left of humanity teams up to protect Zion from utter destruction long enough so that he can escape and prevent Agent Smith from brining and end to the Matrix and humanity in one fell swoop.
Stream The Matrix Revolutions on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy The Matrix Revolutions on Amazon.
The Animatrix (2003)
Released between the second and third installments in the Matrix franchise, The Animatrix is a collection of nine short films that all tie into the world created by the Wachowskis several years earlier. Each of these stories help flesh out the backstory of the series including the war between humans and machines that led to the creation of the Matrix.
Stream The Animatrix on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy The Animatrix on Amazon.
With the release of The Matrix Resurrections quickly approaching, now is the perfect time to clear your schedule for a day and dive back into the world of The Matrix. But if you’re more into physical media and want to avoid the issue of the movies being pulled off HBO Max, you should check out The Matrix trilogy boxset on Amazon.
