THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS (2021) 

Almost 20 years after the sci-fi classic that change so much of the cinematic landscape, The Matrix, hit our screens, it was a shock to many that the news of a continuation of the trilogy with returning actors in Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss, along with one of the original directors in Lana Wachowski, was in development.

 

The news was met with as much excitement from fans of the Matrix trilogy, as there was scepticism from those who thought the sequels to the first film feel incredibly flat in comparison. After an incredibly intriguing and captivating marketing campaign and exciting trailer drops, the anticipation for The Matrix Resurrections was undoubtedly high.

 

Taking place after the events of The Matrix Revolutions, in which the machine-built simulation had been reset by Neo (Keanu Reeves) heroic sacrifice, the lead character is now living an anonymous life as a video game creator and developer. The game that he has created…well, it’s The Matrix. Neo (or Thomas as he is still known within the Matrix) has also created two sequels to his acclaimed games, those being The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. 

 

Feeling within himself that these stories and worlds he has created are more than just video games, Neo once again seeks out to break the simulation along with new additions to the cast, including Yahya Abdul Mateen II as the newest iteration of Morpheus, and Jessica Henwick as Bugs, a reimagining of Trinity. This new digital crew's objective is to find where the machines have hidden Trinity (Carrie Anne Moss) within the real-world (or more so, the machine world) in order to have Neo and Trinity reunite once more to destroy the machines.

 

Convoluted? That’s nothing new within The Matrix saga as many of the complaints with the sequels was it’s over bloated storylines. Unfortunately, this is only one of the sins that The Matrix Resurrections makes. It’s incredibly meta plot (involving The Matrix video games and the referral to how Warner Bros. forced the production of more Matrix material) serves up a parody-like tone to the first act of the film. A tone that is jarring in the sense that it’s truly unlike its predecessors. This is a bold filmmaking move from Wachowski, and one that could've paid off quite well had the film stayed on path and not become the exact movie that it was making fun off initially.

 

The second and third acts of this film turn into a bland, nostalgia-baited film that drags along it’s 150 minute run-time to a climax that feels dead on arrival. A new aesthetic look with more sharp colours gives a new sense of feeling within the Matrix simulation (something that is actually explained later in the film) is the only element of this film that feels fresh. The cinematography is uninspired compared to the game-changing filmmaking of the original trilogy, the humour falls flat in many scenes and even with the return of the fan favourites, Neo and Trinity, aside from Jonathon Groff’s dedicated performance, all the actors feel like they’re in different movies at times.

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The Matrix Resurrections is going to be a divisive film for audiences. Some will find it’s bold style of tonal shift to be refreshing and exciting, while others will potentially be annoyed by the lack of substance behind it’s often cringy, meta narrative.