---
title: "The Matrix Resurrections"
year: 2021
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-matrix-resurrections"
fi1m_id: "the-matrix-resurrections"
imdb_id: "tt10838180"
tmdb_id: 624860
wikidata_id: "Q80322391"
fi1m_score: 66
critics_score: 66
critics_reviews: 31
published: "2026-10-03T02:31:32.814596+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-03T02:31:41.662833+00:00"
region: "IS"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

Directed by Lana Wachowski · 2h 28m · Science Fiction, Action, Adventure

## Identity

The Matrix Resurrections

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-matrix-resurrections
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-matrix-resurrections
- **IMDb ID:** tt10838180
- **TMDB ID:** 624860
- **Wikidata ID:** Q80322391
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10838180/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/624860, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q80322391

**Fi1m score: 66** · Critics 66 from 31 reviews

*In a sentence:* Neo and Trinity still have chemistry, even when everyone else seems to be reading the manual

> Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss make this return worth considering for the romance. Lana Wachowski’s self-aware sequel is much less persuasive when it starts explaining itself or trying to stage a readable fight.

## Synopsis

Neo / Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) tries to reconnect with Trinity / Tiffany (Carrie-Anne Moss) in a return to the Matrix that revisits their shared history. Bugs (Jessica Henwick), Smith (Jonathan Groff) and The Analyst (Neil Patrick Harris) are among the figures surrounding the pair. Neo wants to reach Trinity, but their reunion involves confronting the story they have already lived through. Their relationship drives a science-fiction adventure that repeatedly refers to its own earlier chapters, while the opening makes the question of why anyone should revisit familiar characters part of the story itself.

## Review

Lana Wachowski’s *The Matrix Resurrections* is worth the trouble chiefly for Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, and there is more trouble than there should be. The return keeps asking what a familiar story can still offer, sometimes with wit and sometimes with the persistence of someone who has forgotten we understood the joke. Its answer is most convincing when Neo and Trinity try to reconnect. Those scenes give an uneven science-fiction sequel a reason to exist, though they cannot excuse everything around them.

The screenplay by Lana Wachowski, David Mitchell and Aleksandar Hemon begins with an enjoyable willingness to question the whole undertaking. The opening’s jokes about revisiting familiar material have some bite, especially when they make the audience’s appetite for repetition part of the problem. We can enjoy a sequel being rude about the business of sequels. The difficulty comes when the jokes keep returning without becoming much sharper. After a while, the film seems to expect credit for recognising difficulties it has not managed to overcome.

Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss give it something more persuasive to do. We were moved by Neo’s attempts to reconnect with Trinity, because Keanu Reeves makes the wish to be near her feel tentative and difficult. Carrie-Anne Moss gives their encounters enough warmth to make that uncertainty matter. The attraction feels adult, and neither actor treats familiarity as a substitute for paying attention to the other. These scenes allow us to care about the relationship without needing another explanation of its importance.

Jessica Henwick brings welcome energy to Bugs, but the supporting characters compete with a great deal of explanation. The middle spends too long attending to plot mechanics while leaving the central relationship short of time. Carrie-Anne Moss is too important to what works here to be used so sparingly. By then, we want to stay with the two people whose reunion matters, rather than hear another account of how it can happen.

The action is a substantial disappointment against the series’ own standards for invention and clarity. Daniele Massaccesi and John Toll’s cinematography keeps the fighting busy, but too often we struggle to follow how one movement leads to the next. Joseph Jett Sally’s editing compounds the problem, registering impacts more readily than the movements that cause them. Individual passages have energy, yet the cutting repeatedly interrupts the pleasure of watching bodies move through a space we understand.

Hugh Bateup and Peter Walpole’s production design gives the film a polished finish, though few of its surroundings remain distinct in the memory. During the fights, there is too little opportunity to take those spaces in. Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer’s score is more effective at sustaining urgency than at making the romance matter. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss have already done that job, and the music need not work so hard around them.

Treat this as a film for people who still care about Neo and Trinity, and its disappointments become easier to weigh. We would not choose it as an introduction to the series, or for an evening chiefly devoted to action. At 148 minutes, it asks for more patience than its strongest scenes require. Give it an evening if the reunion matters more to you than the fights.

*Fi1m score 66, published 3 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to The Matrix Resurrections, with praise clustering around Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss: their chemistry gives Neo and Trinity’s romance a weight that even several sceptical reviews acknowledge. Supporters also welcome the sequel’s self-aware humour and willingness to question the business of reviving a franchise. Some find particular value in its engagement with identity, with Little White Lies praising its affirmation of non-binary identity and its hopeful female and non-binary characters.

The spread is wide, however, and the same self-referential approach strikes detractors as a substitute for a worthwhile new story. Reservations repeatedly concern exposition, an uneven middle and action that is harder to follow or less inventive than before, though some reviews enjoy the fight scenes. The Guardian sits at the negative end, finding little justification for the return despite some romantic charm; several enthusiastic notices also concede that the action disappoints.

## Straight answers

**Is The Matrix Resurrections worth watching?**

*The Matrix Resurrections* is worth considering if Neo and Trinity’s reunion matters more to you than the action; we score it 66 out of 100. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss make the romance moving, but repeated self-aware jokes, lengthy explanations and fights that are difficult to follow make this a testing 148 minutes.

**How long is The Matrix Resurrections, and what is it rated?**

*The Matrix Resurrections* runs 2h 28m. It is a science fiction and action film.

**Where can I watch The Matrix Resurrections in Iceland?**

*The Matrix Resurrections* is not on any streaming or rental service in Iceland at the moment. It is available in 52 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is The Matrix Resurrections, and is it suitable for children?**

*The Matrix Resurrections* carries a UK 15 certificate, so it is not suitable for children under 15. The action includes repeated fights whose editing emphasises impacts while making the movements difficult to follow; we would not treat it as family viewing, though our review offers no basis for a more specific warning about gore or frightening material.

**How does The Matrix Resurrections compare to Dark City?**

*The Matrix Resurrections* is the more appealing choice for an established attachment to Neo and Trinity, while we recommend [*Dark City*](https://film.one/film/dark-city) more readily for an absorbing science-fiction mystery. Both involve troubled identity and untrustworthy surroundings, but *Dark City* sustains interest through its invented city and unease, despite thin characterisation; *Resurrections* relies on its central romance to offset laboured explanations and unclear action.

**What should I watch after The Matrix Resurrections?**

After *The Matrix Resurrections*, try [*Dark City*](https://film.one/film/dark-city) (1998, Fi1m 76): For another troubled identity caught inside a city that cannot be trusted. Then [*Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind*](https://film.one/film/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind) (2004, Fi1m 88): A fractured science-fiction romance that gives memory and regret their proper weight.

### Reviews we read (31)

- **Little White Lies**, Lillian Crawford (5/5/5): Crawford calls the sequel a revolutionary, optimistic capstone that expands the series with a rich, original vision. She especially praises its affirmation of non-binary identity and the fresh, hopeful presence of female and non-binary characters. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-matrix-resurrections)
- **Vulture**, Angelica Jade Bastién (90/100, inferred): Bastién calls the film a thrilling, ambitious triumph that turns the franchise’s return into a bold, romantic story. She especially praises the chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, which gives its themes of love and community emotional force. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2021/12/the-matrix-resurrections-movie-review-matrix-4.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Keith Uhlich (3.5/4): Uhlich finds the film a transcendent, emotionally persuasive story of renewal, despite less effective action scenes. He especially praises the mature, natural rapport between Neo and Trinity and the film’s heartfelt love story. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-matrix-resurrections-review-keanu-reeves-lana-washowski/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Katie Walsh (85/100, inferred): Walsh finds the film an original, joyful remix that makes a persuasive case for revisiting the franchise. She praises its earnest Neo–Trinity love story and colorful, well-designed action. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-12-21/review-matrix-resurrections-keanu-reeves-lana-wachowski)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (4/5): O’Sullivan finds the ambitious sequel bold and much more than a cynical cash-grab, though its supporting cast and stretches of dialogue disappoint. She praises Reeves and Moss for bringing gorgeous gusto to Neo and Trinity’s frayed chemistry. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-matrix-resurrections-scifi-review-keanu-reeves-b973168.html)
- **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (80/100, inferred): Ehrlich praises the film as a bold, personal, and unusually thoughtful franchise sequel, though its action and some fan-service moments disappoint. He singles out its sincere romance between Neo and Trinity as the film’s emotional and thematic strength. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-matrix-resurrections-review-1234687110/)
- **Total Film**, Jack Shepherd (4/5): The critic finds the film a bold, successful reboot, though its meta-commentary may test viewers’ patience. They praise the love story between Neo and Trinity as the emotional anchor. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-matrix-resurrections-review/)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Brian Tallerico (3/4): Tallerico gives the film a mixed but generally appreciative verdict. He singles out its self-aware engagement with the franchise’s history as a strength. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-matrix-resurrections-movie-review-2021)
- **The i Paper**, Christina Newland (75/100, inferred): Newland calls the film a sophisticated, compelling addition to the series and expects fans to enjoy its return. She praises its balance of homage and self-aware humor, especially its teasing of people who read too much into the films. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/the-matrix-resurrections-review-release-date-uk-cinemas-keanu-reeves-carrie-anne-moss-1363513)
- **Sight and Sound**, Kambole Campbell (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a welcome, self-conscious antidote to generic blockbusters, despite its uneven middle and weaker action. They praise Wachowski’s effort to reclaim the original’s ideological meaning, especially through its engagement with transgender politics. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/matrix-resurrections-welcome-antidote-generic-blockbusters)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, John DeFore (65/100, inferred): DeFore finds the sequel an enjoyable, self-aware return that largely remakes the original, while questioning whether its ideas fully come together onscreen. He singles out the scenes of Neo trying to reconnect with Trinity as especially engaging. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-matrix-resurrections-film-review-1235065627/)
- **Screen Daily**, Tim Grierson (64/100, inferred): The review’s verdict is unavailable because the article text is behind a paywall. No specific praise or complaint is visible in the headline, standfirst, or metadata. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-matrix-resurrections-review/5166014.article)
- **The AV Club**, Katie Rife (C+): Rife finds the sequel self-referential and messy, but ultimately hopeful and endearing. She praises Wachowski’s inspired visual touches while criticizing the action staging and less legible fight choreography. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/keanu-goes-back-through-the-looking-glass-in-the-legacy-1848247837)
- **Time Out**, Olly Richards (3/5): The review suggests the film is only moderately successful, with its meta approach shaping the experience. It singles out Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss for breathing some life into the revived franchise. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-matrix-resurrections-2021)
- **Empire**, Alex Godfrey (50/100, inferred): The critic finds the film entertaining in bursts but ultimately hollow, as it shifts from playful self-awareness to pedestrian plotting. They praise its cheeky, layered opening and the romantic, sometimes touching return of Reeves and Moss. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-matrix-resurrections/)
- **Radio Times**, David Craig (40/100, inferred): The review suggests the film is more a treatise against franchise filmmaking than a genuine revival. It singles out the film’s meta approach, implying that it offers more commentary than transformation. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/the-matrix-resurrections-review/)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge (35/100, inferred): Debruge finds the sequel slick but largely redundant, with little reason to revive a story that had reached a natural conclusion. He praises its self-aware, pop-subversive framing, while faulting its lack of innovation and striking visual identity. [Read](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/the-matrix-resurrections-review-keanu-reeves-1235140736/)
- **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (30/100, inferred): Brody finds the film a disappointing, sluggish return that relies on nostalgia and routine spectacle. He praises the brief reunion of Neo and Trinity for its powerful sense of mutual recognition and transformation. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/the-matrix-resurrections-reviewed-the-reboot-picks-up-where-the-trilogy-left-off-alas)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (20/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the reboot lifeless and unable to justify its return, calling it an unoriginal piece of franchise IP. He gives some credit to its middle-aged love-story charm and playful new ideas, but complains that Trinity is underused and the action lacks the original’s impact. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/dec/21/the-matrix-resurrections-review-keanu-reeves)
- **Collider**, Carly Lane (A-): Lane finds the sequel worthwhile, admiring its meta approach and the franchise’s romantic core. She especially praises Reeves and Moss’s compelling portrayal of Neo and Trinity’s love, while noting that some action is hard to follow. [Read](https://collider.com/matrix-resurrections-review-keanu-reeves-lana-wachowski/)
- **/Film**, Chris Evangelista (8/10): The critic finds the sequel an entertaining, unconventional experiment, though it has stumbles and lacks the original’s inventive action. They praise its humor and the romantic chemistry between Neo and Trinity. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/713798/the-matrix-resurrections-review-lana-wachowski-reboots-the-series-with-a-funny-ultra-meta-sequel/)
- **Eye for Film**, Andrew Robertson (78/100, inferred): Robertson enjoyed the film more than expected and says he was eager to watch it again. He praises its reabsorption of what made the original work, especially its playful metatextuality and emotional spark. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-matrix-resurrections-2021-film-review-by-andrew-robertson)
- **Consequence**, Liz Shannon Miller (75/100, inferred): Miller finds the film a satisfying, often exciting continuation that revives enthusiasm for the franchise. She especially praises the deepened chemistry between Reeves and Moss, while noting that the action falls short of the earlier films. [Read](https://consequence.net/2021/12/the-matrix-resurrections-review/)
- **Deadline**, Valerie Complex (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the follow-up a breath of fresh air, despite its choppy, shaky action. She singles out the women characters, especially Trinity, for giving the film its heart and appeal. [Read](https://deadline.com/2021/12/the-matrix-resurrections-lana-wachoski-directs-1234900150/)
- **Paste**, Jacob Oller (7.4/10): Oller finds the sequel ambitious and often joyous, though messy and not always successful. He especially praises the warmth and chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-matrix/the-matrix-resurrections-review)
- **Den of Geek**, John Saavedra (3.5/5): The critic finds the sequel ambitious, weird, and satisfying, though it falters with a plot-heavy middle and a less compelling follow-up to the earlier films. He particularly praises the romantic chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss and the cathartic story of second chances. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-matrix-resurrections-review/)
- **The Ringer**, Miles Surrey (70/100, inferred): Surrey sees the film as a bold, self-aware challenge to franchise nostalgia, while appreciating Wachowski’s right to shape the series’ legacy. He singles out its earnest focus on Neo and Trinity’s love as the force driving the story. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2021/12/23/movies/matrix-revolutions-sequel-reboot-meta)
- **Digital Spy**, Ian Sandwell (65/100, inferred): Sandwell calls it a mixed bag, but says its unusual ideas and creativity make it better than the later sequels. He praises the central romance and cast chemistry, while criticizing the action and the exposition-heavy second half. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a38552246/the-matrix-4-review-resurrections/)
- **NME**, Alex Flood (★★★): The review finds the film convoluted but intermittently gripping, with a somewhat unsatisfying climax. It praises the inventive fight scenes and highlights Jada Pinkett Smith’s poignant performance. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/the-matrix-resurrections-review-a-nostalgia-heavy-red-pill-of-a-blockbuster-3123106)
- **The Wrap** (50/100, inferred): The critic finds the sequel frustrating and uneven, but worth accepting for its unusual self-awareness. They particularly praise the more convincing, emotionally developed relationship between Neo and Trinity. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/the-matrix-resurrections-film-review-keanu-reeves-carrie-anne-moss-lana-wachowski/)
- **Film Stories**, Dan Cooper (20/100, inferred): The critic finds the sequel a weak, disappointing addition that fails to recapture the original’s magic. They praise its core premise and find several performances enjoyable, but fault its metatextual humor and romance for poor execution. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/the-matrix-resurrections-review-a-belated-sequel-that-falls-some-way-short/)

## Details

- **Director:** Lana Wachowski
- **Director:** Lana Wachowski
- **Writer:** David Mitchell, Lana Wachowski, Aleksandar Hemon
- **Cinematography:** Daniele Massaccesi, John Toll
- **Editor:** Joseph Jett Sally
- **Music:** Johnny Klimek, Tom Tykwer
- **Production design:** Hugh Bateup, Peter Walpole
- **Costume design:** Lindsay Pugh
- **Producer:** James McTeigue, Lana Wachowski, Grant Hill
- **Cast:** Keanu Reeves as Neo / Thomas Anderson; Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity / Tiffany; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Morpheus / Agent Smith; Jonathan Groff as Smith; Jessica Henwick as Bugs; Neil Patrick Harris as The Analyst; Jada Pinkett Smith as Niobe; Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Sati
- **Runtime:** 2h 28m
- **First release (Azerbaijan):** 16 December 2021
- **Genres:** Science Fiction, Action, Adventure
- **Budget:** $190 million
- **Box office:** $156 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNpvWBuTfrc

## Where to watch in Iceland

Not streaming, renting or buying in Iceland at the last check.

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Dark City* (1998), Fi1m 76: For another troubled identity caught inside a city that cannot be trusted. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/dark-city.md)
- *Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* (2004), Fi1m 88: A fractured science-fiction romance that gives memory and regret their proper weight. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind.md)
- *World on a Wire* (1973): For simulated lives and unease, with more patience for the questions.
- *After Life* (1998): A quieter consideration of memory, attachment and which parts of life endure.
- *2046* (2004): Another troubled romance that uses imagined futures to live with the past.

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-matrix-resurrections