Watch The Matrix films in release order: The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, then The Matrix Resurrections (2021). The Animatrix (2003) fills in the machine war and leads into Reloaded, so the best moment for it is between the first and second films.
- Titles
- 5
- Films
- 5
- Watch time
- 11 hours
- Box office
- $1.85 billion
- Avg IMDb
- 7.1
Matrix movies in release order
Here is every Matrix title in the order it came out, 1999 to 2021: 5 films. Optional entries are marked; you can skip them on a first watch.
| # | Title | Year | Type | Runtime | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Matrix | 1999 | Film | 2h 16m | 8.7 |
| 2 | The Matrix Reloaded | 2003 | Film | 2h 18m | 7.2 |
| 3 | The Animatrix optional | 2003 | Film | 1h 42m | 7 |
| 4 | The Matrix Revolutions | 2003 | Film | 2h 9m | 6.8 |
| 5 | The Matrix Resurrections | 2021 | Film | 2h 28m | 5.6 |
Matrix timeline: movies in chronological order
The same titles in story order, by when they take place, with the year or era each one is set in.
| # | Title | Set in | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Animatrix | The machine war onward | 2003 |
| 2 | The Matrix | Around 2199 | 1999 |
| 3 | The Matrix Reloaded | Around 2199 | 2003 |
| 4 | The Matrix Revolutions | Around 2199 | 2003 |
| 5 | The Matrix Resurrections | 60 years later | 2021 |
Release or chronological: which order is best?
Release order and story order disagree on 3 titles here. In release order you start with The Matrix (1999); in story order you start with The Animatrix, set in The machine war onward, which came out 4 years later.
First time through, watch in release order. That is how the twists, returning characters and callbacks were built to land, and later entries assume you have seen the earlier ones. On a rewatch, try story order. It turns The Matrix into one continuous story and makes the prequels play as setup instead of backstory.
Where to start
Start with The Matrix and go in release order, skipping the 1 optional titles on the first pass.
The essentials are 4 titles and about 9 hours, 16% less than the full run.
The three highest rated: The Matrix (8.7), The Matrix Reloaded (7.2), and The Animatrix (7).
Every Matrix movie, explained
One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.
No. 01 · 1999 · Film · 2h 16m · 2nd in story order
The Matrix
Set in the 22nd century, The Matrix tells the story of a computer hacker who joins a group of underground insurgents fighting the vast and powerful computers who now rule the earth.
Why it matters: Neo takes the red pill; the place to start.
- Starring
- Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Carrie-Anne Moss
- Director
- Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski
- Box office
- $464 million on a $63 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 8.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 83%
No. 02 · 2003 · Film · 2h 18m · 3rd in story order
The Matrix Reloaded
The Resistance builds in numbers as humans are freed from the Matrix and brought to the city of Zion. Neo discovers his superpowers, including the ability to see the code inside the Matrix. With machine sentinels digging to Zion in 72 hours, Neo, Morpheus and Trinity must find the Keymaker to ultimately reach the Source.
Why it matters: Picks up six months later; best watched back to back with Revolutions.
- Starring
- Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Carrie-Anne Moss
- Director
- Lilly Wachowski and Lana Wachowski
- Box office
- $739 million on a $150 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7.2 · Rotten Tomatoes 74%
No. 03 · 2003 · Film · 1h 42m · 1st in story order · optional
The Animatrix
Straight from the creators of the groundbreaking Matrix trilogy, this collection of short animated films from the world's leading anime directors fuses computer graphics and Japanese anime to provide the background of the Matrix universe and the conflict between man and machines. The shorts include Final Flight of the Osiris, The Second Renaissance, Kid's Story, Program, World Record, Beyond, A Detective Story and Matriculated.
Why it matters: Nine animated shorts; The Second Renaissance explains the machine war. Optional.
- Starring
- Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Clayton Watson
- Director
- Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Mahiro Maeda, Shinichiro Watanabe, Takeshi Koike, Peter Chung, Koji Morimoto, and Andrew R. Jones
- Box office
- $68 million on a $5 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7 · Rotten Tomatoes 88%
No. 04 · 2003 · Film · 2h 9m
The Matrix Revolutions
The human city of Zion defends itself against the massive invasion of the machines as Neo fights to end the war at another front while also opposing the rogue Agent Smith.
Why it matters: Ends the original trilogy.
- Starring
- Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Carrie-Anne Moss
- Director
- Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski
- Box office
- $425 million on a $150 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 33%
No. 05 · 2021 · Film · 2h 28m
The Matrix Resurrections
Plagued by strange memories, Neo's life takes an unexpected turn when he finds himself back inside the Matrix.
Why it matters: A sequel 20 years on that comments on the trilogy itself.
- Starring
- Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
- Director
- Lana Wachowski
- Box office
- $156 million on a $190 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 63%
Matrix box office and budgets
The 5 Matrix films with reported numbers have grossed $1.85 billion worldwide on about $558 million in combined budgets, roughly 3.3 times what they cost. The biggest is The Matrix Reloaded at $739 million, 40% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by The Matrix ($464 million) and The Matrix Revolutions ($425 million).
Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to The Animatrix, which made 14 times its $5 million budget. The weakest was The Matrix Resurrections at 82% of its $190 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.
The best and worst rated Matrix movies
Across 5 rated titles, The Matrix averages 7.1 on IMDb. The top of the list is The Matrix at 8.7, then The Matrix Reloaded (7.2) and The Animatrix (7). At the bottom: The Matrix Resurrections (5.6) and The Matrix Revolutions (6.8).
- The Matrix8.7 · RT 83%
- The Matrix Reloaded7.2 · RT 74%
- The Animatrix7 · RT 88%
- The Matrix Revolutions6.8 · RT 33%
- The Matrix Resurrections5.6 · RT 63%
Who appears in the most Matrix movies
Keanu Reeves leads with 5 appearances as Neo and Thomas Anderson, ahead of Carrie-Anne Moss (5) and Laurence Fishburne (3). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.
| Actor | Role | Titles | First and latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keanu Reeves | Neo / Thomas Anderson | 5 | The Matrix (1999) to The Matrix Resurrections (2021) |
| Carrie-Anne Moss | Trinity / Tiffany | 5 | The Matrix (1999) to The Matrix Resurrections (2021) |
| Laurence Fishburne | Morpheus | 3 | The Matrix (1999) to The Matrix Revolutions (2003) |
| Hugo Weaving | Agent Smith | 3 | The Matrix (1999) to The Matrix Revolutions (2003) |
| Jada Pinkett Smith | Niobe | 3 | The Matrix Reloaded (2003) to The Matrix Resurrections (2021) |
| Lambert Wilson | The Merovingian / Merovingian | 3 | The Matrix Reloaded (2003) to The Matrix Resurrections (2021) |
| Gloria Foster | Oracle / The Oracle | 2 | The Matrix (1999) to The Matrix Reloaded (2003) |
| Harold Perrineau | Link | 2 | The Matrix Reloaded (2003) to The Matrix Revolutions (2003) |
| Harry Lennix | Commander Lock | 2 | The Matrix Reloaded (2003) to The Matrix Revolutions (2003) |
Matrix directors and creators
9 filmmakers have directed or created The Matrix; Lana Wachowski has the most, with 4.
- Lana WachowskiThe Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003), and The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
- Lilly WachowskiThe Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), and The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
- Yoshiaki KawajiriThe Animatrix (2003)
- Mahiro MaedaThe Animatrix (2003)
- Shinichiro WatanabeThe Animatrix (2003)
- Takeshi KoikeThe Animatrix (2003)
- Peter ChungThe Animatrix (2003)
- Koji MorimotoThe Animatrix (2003)
- Andrew R. JonesThe Animatrix (2003)
How long it takes to watch every Matrix movie
All 5 titles add up to 11 hours. That is about 6 two-hour evenings, or 2 days of ten-hour binges. The essentials cut it to 9 hours. The longest film is The Matrix Resurrections at 2h 28m.
The 4 best rated films: The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Animatrix, and The Matrix Revolutions.
Everything takes about 2 weeks; the essentials about 10 days.
Track what you've watched on the timeline and it counts the hours left.
Which Matrix movies can you skip?
1 title can go without losing the main story. They are side stories, spin-offs or entries the later films ignore. Dropping them saves 2 hours.
- The Animatrix2003 · Film · 1h 42m · optionalNine animated shorts; The Second Renaissance explains the machine war. Optional.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Matrix movies in?
Watch The Matrix films in release order: The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, then The Matrix Resurrections (2021). The Animatrix (2003) fills in the machine war and leads into Reloaded, so the best moment for it is between the first and second films.
How many Matrix movies and shows are there?
There are 5 titles in the The Matrix franchise: 5 films and 0 series, released from 1999 to 2021.
How long does it take to watch all the Matrix movies?
About 11 hours for all 5 titles, counting every episode. The essentials only (4 titles) take about 9 hours.
What is the first Matrix title in chronological order?
The Animatrix, set in The machine war onward. In release order the first is The Matrix (1999).
Which Matrix titles can I skip?
The Animatrix. They are spin-offs, side stories or non-canon entries; the main story holds without them.
What is the best Matrix movie?
By IMDb score, The Matrix (1999) at 8.7, followed by The Matrix Reloaded at 7.2.
What is the highest-grossing Matrix movie?
The Matrix Reloaded (2003), with $739 million worldwide. The Matrix films have made $1.85 billion in total.
Who has appeared in the most Matrix movies?
Keanu Reeves, in 5 of them as Neo.
What is the longest Matrix movie?
The Matrix Resurrections, at 2h 28m.
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