'The Matrix Resurrections': What to Know Before Watching — Your Pre-Watch Guide
Key plot points, timeline details, and Neo’s surprising return.
When The Matrix Resurrections appeared on the screen in 2021, it was undeniable how familiar yet strangely off it feels — this long-awaited fourth chapter in the franchise feels like a cheeky wink to the original trilogy rather than a worthy continuation.
I saw it in theaters, and I left feeling that it didn’t honor the weight and depth of the first Matrix films — more like a fanfic made for a laugh.
What Is the Movie About?
The Matrix Resurrections picks up about 60 years after the events of Revolutions. Neo is now living as Thomas Anderson, a video game developer drowning in confusion and insomnia, popping blue pills and seeing a therapist.
A hacker named Bugs convinces him that there’s something deeply wrong with his reality, leading to a new version of the Matrix created by 'The Analyst.' Neo and Trinity are revived and trapped under new terms, setting them on a collision course with familiar ideas and haunting memories.
How Is Neo Alive?
The Machines kept Neo — alongside Trinity — alive after his sacrifice. They wiped his memory and placed him back within a reconfigured Matrix. This version of the simulation leans into the emotional connection between Neo and Trinity, using it as both a power source and a narrative.
Fans online have theorized endlessly about the symbolism, but canonically, it’s the machines' manipulation that brings them back.
This film takes the familiar world of The Matrix and turns it into a meta, emotionally-plugged puzzle — but honestly, it felt more like a parody than the epic saga we once loved. Still, if curiosity prevails, there’s plenty to chew over next time you rewatch Neo’s journey.
