The Matrix Resurrections
Parents say
Based on 14 reviews
Kids say
Based on 28 reviews
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The Matrix Resurrections
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Matrix Resurrections is the long-awaited (but underwhelming) fourth Matrix movie, the first since 2003's The Matrix Revolutions. Expect effects-heavy action violence, including lots of guns and shooting; fighting, kicking, and punching; bloody wounds (a throat is sliced, and a character spits blood); and explosions, chases, and unsettling "dreamy" visual effects (a man's mouth vanishes, etc.). Characters jump from high buildings, becoming "human bombs" and smashing into things below. People wake up partly naked in goop-filled chambers, but nothing explicit is shown. Language includes two uses of "f--k," plus several uses of "s--t" and sporadic uses of other words. Main character Neo/Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) drinks clear liquor from a bottle, and other characters sip a martini or smoke cigarettes.
Community Reviews
Not enough sex, drugs or swearing. Just enough violence.
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White men as villains equals diverse representation?
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What's the Story?
In THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS, Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves), now famous for having developed a successful trilogy of games called The Matrix, is working as a video game designer in San Francisco. He sees a therapist (Neil Patrick Harris) and takes medication to control his strange "visions" and keep himself grounded in reality. In a cafe, he spots Tiffany (Carrie-Anne Moss), who somehow looks familiar. Meawhile, a scrappy young freedom fighter named Bugs (Jessica Henwick) infiltrates an experimental computer simulation designed by Anderson and discovers an alternate version of Morpheus (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Together they find the clues they need to track Neo down and set things right. But once he's awakened and in the "real" world again, Neo longs to find Trinity. So the heroes launch an impossible rescue mission that could doom all humans.
Is It Any Good?
The fourth Matrix movie kicks off with a great idea (and a reason to continue with the story 18 years later), but unfortunately that idea peters out, and the movie gets stuck in a very old rut. Directed and co-written by Lana Wachowski (working, for the first time, without her sister Lilly), The Matrix Resurrections begins with a savage satire on corporate greed and conniving marketers as Anderson's video game company revs up for a new sequel that he doesn't want to make. (Christina Ricci appears in a hilarious small role as a particularly tacky marketer.) Wachowski keeps up a certain queasy tension during this first part, including a brilliant montage sequence -- set to the tune of, of course, "White Rabbit" -- that demonstrates how mundane and meaningless this existence is.
As with the original The Matrix (1999), there's a great mystery afoot, with odd little clues everywhere. (Whats up with Reeves' reflection in the computer monitor?) And, ironically, a video game focus group asks all of the questions that viewers are likely asking: What's real, and what's not? What matters, and what doesn't? But at some point near the halfway mark, The Matrix Resurrections reveals everything. The deliciousness is gone, and everything is about planning for the big rescue, fights, chases, and explosions. And without the masterful fight choreography of Yuen Woo-ping, who worked on the first three films, even these look painfully ordinary. The movie seems to have forgotten its original satirical intentions and just swallowed its own blue pill.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Matrix Resurrections' violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
How does the movie fit in with the other movies in the Matrix series? How does it compare? Is there a good reason to revisit the world of the Matrix after 18 years? Why, or why not?
How can the idea of the Matrix -- some people are asleep inside an artificial reality, while others are "awake" -- apply to real life? Which option would you choose?
What does the movie have to say about the idea of franchises, sequels, and marketing? Does the movie itself rise above all that?
Did you notice positive representations in the movie? Why is diversity in the media important?
Movie Details
- In theaters: December 22, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: December 22, 2021
- Cast: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
- Director: Lana Wachowski
- Studio: Warner Bros.
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Adventures
- Run time: 148 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: violence and some language
- Last updated: October 8, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
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The Matrix
Intense, but many teens will be able to handle it.
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The Matrix Reloaded
Second Matrix movie is violent but still exciting.
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The Matrix Revolutions
Trilogy finale has same heavy violence, weaker script.
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Blade Runner 2049
Mature sci-fi sequel is almost as good as the original.
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Reminiscence
Dark, violent sci-fi noir has memorable performances.
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The Mitchells vs. the Machines
Action-packed family adventure tackles tech dependence.
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