---
title: "TRON: Ares"
year: 2025
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/tron-ares"
fi1m_id: "tron-ares"
imdb_id: "tt6604188"
tmdb_id: 533533
wikidata_id: "Q120237363"
fi1m_score: 50
critics_score: 48
critics_reviews: 19
published: "2026-09-09"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:49.523730+00:00"
region: "US"
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."
---

# TRON: Ares (2025)

Directed by Joachim Rønning · 1h 59m · MPA PG-13 · Science Fiction, Adventure, Action

## Identity

TRON: Ares

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/tron-ares
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** tron-ares
- **IMDb ID:** tt6604188
- **TMDB ID:** 533533
- **Wikidata ID:** Q120237363
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6604188/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/533533, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q120237363

**Fi1m score: 50** · Critics 48 from 19 reviews

*In a sentence:* The motorbikes are red now, the score is superb, and the man on the bike has nothing to say

> Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have written the best thing in Joachim Rønning’s third *Tron* film by some distance. Under it sits one good chase, a great deal of talk about what machines want, and Jared Leto not answering.

## Synopsis

Ares (Jared Leto) is a program, built inside a computer and sent out of it into the world by Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), the head of a technology company whose family name means something in this series. He arrives as a soldier and begins, slowly, to notice where he is. Eve Kim (Greta Lee) is the human he keeps running into. Gillian Anderson plays Elisabeth Dillinger, Jodie Turner-Smith plays Athena, and Jeff Bridges returns as Kevin Flynn. Joachim Rønning directs from a screenplay by Jesse Wigutow, with a score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. It runs 119 minutes, is a 12A, and follows *Tron* (1982) and *Tron: Legacy* (2010).

## Review

Ares (Jared Leto) is a program, made to order and sent out of the machine into the world by Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), who owns the machine. That is the film’s one new idea, and it is a decent one: for two previous films the series asked what a person would do inside a computer, and this one asks what a computer would do out here. Joachim Rønning has hired good people to answer the question. The music is excellent, the photography is handsome, one chase is worth the ticket, and the script underneath all of it has almost nothing to say and says it several times.

Start with the music, because everyone will. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, with Boys Noize, have written a score of low grinding synths and drums that sound like sheet metal being beaten flat, and it does the work of about forty pages of screenplay. When a scene has no tension the bass supplies some. Jeff Cronenweth shoots the city at night in black, wet grey and red, and Darren Gilford’s design puts the series’ light trails over ordinary tarmac, so a wall of red light stands in the road where a lorry has just been.

We sat up for that first chase. A light cycle laying a solid line across a real street, with real traffic having to make sense of it, is the kind of image this series was built for and has not managed in years, and Tyler Nelson cuts it clean enough that we always knew where the bike was. Then it ends, and the film goes indoors, and we waited the better part of an hour for it to happen again. By the time it did we were bored, and then faintly cross about being bored, because every time the drums came back in we could hear what the film had been meant to be.

Leto is the other problem. Ares is supposed to be a soldier discovering that he has feelings, and Leto plays him as a man who has been told to look serene and is doing his best. He murmurs. He gazes at things. Some critics found this restful; we found nothing behind it, and a film about a machine learning to want needs an actor who can show wanting. Greta Lee, as Eve Kim, does the work of reacting, explaining and running, and she is the only person on screen who seems to be in a hurry. Peters plays Dillinger as a rich boy who has never been told no. Gillian Anderson gets two scenes of cold disappointment as Elisabeth Dillinger and plays them well. Jodie Turner-Smith’s Athena is given a weapon and a stare.

Jesse Wigutow’s screenplay, from a story by Wigutow and David DiGilio, has the idea and then explains it. Characters say what the film is about, and the ideas are the ones every film about artificial minds has had for a decade: can a made thing choose, does it deserve to. Frankenstein is invoked, more than once. There are no jokes to speak of, which in a film about a glowing man on a motorbike is a strange choice. Christine Bieselin Clark and Alix Friedberg’s suits are sleek and armoured and look as if they weigh something, which helps.

Against the series’ own standards it sits about where you would guess. Steven Lisberger, who directed *Tron* in 1982 and produces here, made a film that was thrilled by a toy nobody had seen before. *Tron: Legacy* in 2010 had Daft Punk and not much else. This one has the better score of the two and the same shortage of people. Jeff Bridges returns as Kevin Flynn, and we will not say how or for how long; the film is pleased to see him and, for a few minutes, so were we.

Most critics have landed near us, and the reviews split wide on either side, which is what happens when a film’s best and worst departments are this far apart. If you go, go to a cinema with speakers that can take it. At home the chase shrinks and the talking grows, and you will find yourself watching a fine album with a film attached. It runs 119 minutes and is a 12A, which is about right; nothing in it would frighten anyone, including its villain.

*Fi1m score 50, published 9 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics come away from TRON: Ares unimpressed, and the reviews lean negative. What nearly everyone agrees on is the music: the Nine Inch Nails score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is singled out again and again, sometimes as the only reason to stay in the seat. The visual effects and the light-cycle chases draw steady praise as well, and several reviews find it cleaner and easier to follow than Legacy.

The reservations gather around the story and the lead. Most find the AI plot recycled and the script glib, and Jared Leto’s performance is called charmless more often than not. Total Film and the Los Angeles Times both object to moving the action out of the Grid and into the real world. The spread is wide. The Telegraph, The Times and The Guardian give it the lowest marks, while HeyUGuys rates it warmly and The Hollywood Reporter alone defends Leto as subdued and affecting.

## Straight answers

**Is TRON: Ares worth watching?**

*TRON: Ares* is worth watching only for its score and one chase, and we gave it 50. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross supply the tension the script does not, and a light cycle laying a red line across a real street is the image the series was built for. Between those moments there is a great deal of talk about what machines want, and Jared Leto not answering.

**How long is TRON: Ares, and what is it rated?**

*TRON: Ares* runs 1h 59m and is rated PG-13 by the MPA in the US. It is a science fiction and adventure film.

**Where can I watch TRON: Ares in the US?**

*TRON: Ares* is streaming on Disney+ in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is TRON: Ares, and is it suitable for children?**

*TRON: Ares* is a 12A and nothing in it would frighten anyone, including its villain. The violence is glowing men on motorbikes and armoured suits rather than blood, and there is nothing adult beyond the certificate implies. Younger children may simply find the long indoor stretches of talk about artificial minds dull rather than upsetting.

**How does TRON: Ares compare to Ghost in the Shell?**

*TRON: Ares* and [*Ghost in the Shell*](https://film.one/film/ghost-in-the-shell) both send a made mind into a wet neon city to ask what it is, and Oshii's film has the thought behind the question that Rønning's lacks. *Ghost in the Shell* is the better film by a clear margin, absorbing and melancholy, though its plotting can be needlessly opaque. Choose *Ares* only for the music and one chase in a cinema with speakers that can take it.

**What should I watch after TRON: Ares?**

After *TRON: Ares*, try [*Ghost in the Shell*](https://film.one/film/ghost-in-the-shell) (1995, Fi1m 83): A made mind asking what it is, in a wet neon city, with actual thought behind it. Then [*Ex Machina*](https://film.one/film/ex-machina) (2014, Fi1m 82): Three people, one house, and the machine-wanting question this film only talks about.

### Reviews we read (25)

- **The AV Club**, Jesse Hassenger (B-): The film is a throwback blockbuster with beautiful visual effects, cleanly shot action, and a kickass soundtrack, but it is ultimately a pretty dumb movie whose ideas feel dated and whose lead performance by Jared Leto does not work. It works as escapism thanks to its sleek, eye-filling style and early-2000s vibes. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/tron-ares-review)
- **The New York Times**, Alissa Wilkinson (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film more enjoyable and comprehensible than its predecessor Legacy while retaining the series' neon aesthetic and action sequences. She notes Jared Leto's lack of charisma and the movie's failure to recapture the original's low-fi charm. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/movies/tron-ares-review.html)
- **Radio Times**, James Mottram (3/5): The critic calls it a beautifully designed but slightly hollow blockbuster that feels like stepping into the future at times. Thrilling light-cycle chases and the atmospheric Nine Inch Nails score are praised, while a seen-it-all-before AI plot and humourless script are criticised. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/tron-ares-review/)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge (60/100, inferred): The review highlights impressive visuals and 3D effects along with intriguing AI concepts but criticizes the heavy reliance on nostalgia, callbacks to prior films, and the story feeling like an exercise in franchise extension rather than fresh ideas. [Read](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/tron-ares-review-1236542140/)
- **Empire**, John Nugent (55/100, inferred): The film is a lightweight, shallow sci-fi adventure with thin characterisation and themes, relying on flashy CGI and a strong Nine Inch Nails score for its appeal. It offers fun but forgettable futuristic fluff elevated mainly by visuals and soundtrack. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/tron-ares/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Katie Walsh (50/100, inferred): The critic praises the sleek visuals, industrial soundtrack, and style but faults the overly explicit script, lack of subtlety in its AI and Frankenstein-inspired themes, and shift to less appealing real-world action sequences. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2025-10-09/tron-ares-review-jared-leto-greta-lee-joachim-ronning-disney)
- **Screen Daily** (50/100, inferred): The review notes that the film almost gets by on style points and vivid visuals but succumbs to an uninspired story and franchise tendencies. Striking set pieces and the propulsive Nine Inch Nails score are highlighted amid tired sci-fi tropes. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/tron-ares-review-jared-leto-goes-off-grid-in-bombastic-sequel-to-classic-ai-franchise/5209692.article)
- **Little White Lies**, Kambole Campbell (3/2/1): The critic finds the film a high-style, low-substance sci-fi threequel that plays like a vapid neon album promo. Jared Leto cool-poses through it while the strong soundtrack cannot compensate for the hollow execution and unlikeable lead. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/tron)
- **Total Film**, Emily Garbutt (40/100, inferred): The review criticises the choice to move the story out of the Grid into the real world, resulting in a less compelling experience overall. It highlights how this shift causes the film to miss out on its core strengths. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/sci-fi-movies/tron-ares-review/)
- **Vulture** (40/100, inferred): The review views the film as accepting AI takeover with a grimly appropriate corporate fatalism, best when it acknowledges its own silliness but mostly straight-faced and visually unremarkable. It sees the franchise's central question about programs' affinity for humans as exhausted and the overall vision depressing. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-tron-ares-doesnt-realize-its-depressing.html)
- **The Observer**, Wendy Ide (30/100, inferred): The film is an overbearingly futuristic, entirely synthetic spectacle with Jared Leto in messianic prat mode as an annoying AI super-soldier; it may appeal to fans of bright lights and speed but disappoints those seeking plot logic or substance. [Read](https://observer.co.uk/culture/film/article/wendy-ides-pick-of-other-films-tron-ares-good-boy-a-want-in-her-the-perfect-neighbor)
- **Time Out** (30/100, inferred): The film is dismissed as a drab, flavourless iteration of the once-cult sci-fi series that grasps for topicality but has nothing new or interesting to say. Nine Inch Nails' score and some capable action sequences are singled out as the only redeeming elements. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/tron-ares-review-2025)
- **The Guardian** (20/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a pointless threequel that is mind-bendingly dull, more a screensaver than a proper movie, with an irritating turn from Jared Leto and lifeless performances from the rest of the cast. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oct/07/tron-ares-review-gillian-anderson-sci-fi-jeff-bridges-jared-leto)
- **The Telegraph**, Robbie Collin (1/5): The shambolic film is so bad it makes one wish AI would destroy Hollywood, populated by aggressively charmless characters and bloated with unabsorbing non-plot despite one good idea about light cycles in the real world. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/tron-ares-review/)
- **Financial Times** (★★★☆☆): A not-bad sequel that works as Imax spectacle with inventive chase sequences and grand spectacle, though plot is minimal; a pleasant surprise with optimism that may be a tonic. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/b3a43b89-0990-4989-861d-17f12763a407)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney: The critic finds the story familiar from countless sci-fi films but praises the pulse-pounding Nine Inch Nails score and Jared Leto's refreshingly subdued performance, which supplies an emotional hook and occasional humor. It is a marked upgrade from its predecessor with dynamic visuals and muscular action, a surprisingly entertaining popcorn movie that honors its roots. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/tron-ares-review-jared-leto-greta-lee-evan-peters-1236394401/)
- **The Times**, Kevin Maher (★☆☆☆☆): The uninspired sequel is bloodless and lifeless, a series of formulaic chases featuring seasoned actors who should have known better, with a startling opening but little else to recommend it. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/tron-ares-will-make-you-want-to-log-off-gpkxzl9rt)
- **HeyUGuys**, Linda Marric (4/5): The film is a decent, heartfelt evolution of the Tron franchise that does not achieve a flawless balance of form and feeling. The critic singles out the industrial, pulse-pounding score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross as the real triumph. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/tron-ares-review/)
- **Collider**, Ross Bonaime (7/10): The film is a solid upgrade for the Tron series with simpler plotting, strong visuals, and an excellent Nine Inch Nails score that make it entertaining despite inherent goofiness. It makes the franchise feel more viable but still relies on thin characters and familiar tropes. [Read](https://collider.com/tron-ares-review-jared-leto-greta-lee-evan-peters/)
- **NME**, Matt Maytum (70/100, inferred): Praises the score and visuals for making it fun, but criticizes the story as muddled and glib, more style over substance. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/tron-ares-review-nine-inch-nails-jared-leto-evan-peters-3898033)
- **/Film**, Witney Seibold (4/10): Tron: Ares is a thoughtless sequel that is all plot and no heart, with an uncharismatic lead performance from Jared Leto. The critic singles out the electronic intensity of the Nine Inch Nails score as a highlight amid the film's many flaws. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/1989345/tron-ares-review/)
- **Polygon**, Sam Nelson (40/100, inferred): The action sequences and soundtrack are dazzling and elevate the film, but the plot, characters, and themes are thin, recycled, and lacking ambition or depth. It prioritizes style over substance and feels like the least ambitious entry in the franchise. [Read](https://www.polygon.com/tron-ares-review-jared-leto-jeff-bridges/)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond: The critic finds the film entertaining with dazzling effects and an intriguing premise about AI and humans, praising Jared Leto's performance, but notes the script misses opportunities for deeper insight into the themes. [Read](https://deadline.com/2025/10/tron-ares-review-jared-leto-greta-lee-robotic-reboot-1236571930/)
- **Den of Geek**, Don Kaye (2.5 out of 5): The critic finds the score and visuals strong but the film soulless and perfunctory, with no real innovation or passion beyond the music. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/tron-ares-review-soundtrack/)
- **The Wrap**: The critic dismisses the film as a generic, idea-free sequel that fails to engage with its themes, criticizing the plot, performances especially Leto's, while praising only the soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/tron-ares-review-jared-leto/)

## Details

- **Director:** Joachim Rønning
- **Director:** Joachim Rønning
- **Screenplay:** Jesse Wigutow
- **Story:** David DiGilio, Jesse Wigutow
- **Cinematography:** Jeff Cronenweth
- **Editor:** Tyler Nelson
- **Music:** Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Boys Noize
- **Production design:** Darren Gilford
- **Costume design:** Christine Bieselin Clark, Alix Friedberg
- **Producer:** Sean Bailey, Steven Lisberger, Jeffrey Silver
- **Cast:** Jared Leto as Ares; Greta Lee as Eve Kim; Evan Peters as Julian Dillinger; Gillian Anderson as Elisabeth Dillinger; Jodie Turner-Smith as Athena; Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn; Hasan Minhaj as Ajay Singh; Arturo Castro as Seth Flores
- **Runtime:** 1h 59m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13
- **Release (the US):** 10 October 2025
- **Genres:** Science Fiction, Adventure, Action
- **Budget:** $220 million
- **Box office:** $142 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNa0j4mQo1k

## Where to watch in the US

- Disney+: streaming, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $19.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-10.*

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

## If you liked this

- *Tron* (1982): The original, made by people delighted with a toy nobody had seen before.
- *Ghost in the Shell* (1995), Fi1m 83: A made mind asking what it is, in a wet neon city, with actual thought behind it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ghost-in-the-shell.md)
- *Ex Machina* (2014), Fi1m 82: Three people, one house, and the machine-wanting question this film only talks about. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ex-machina.md)
- *Speed Racer* (2008): Colour, speed and a family, treated with a sincerity that shames most franchises.
- *Upgrade* (2018): A cheap, nasty, funny Australian take on a man sharing his body with software.

---
© 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/tron-ares