You can skip 1 of the 5 titles in the The Matrix franchise and still follow the main story: The Animatrix. The essentials (4 titles) take about 9 hours instead of 11 hours.
- Skippable
- 1
- Essentials
- 4
- Time saved
- 2 hours
Safe to skip
- The Animatrix2003 · Film · 1h 42m · optionalNine animated shorts; The Second Renaissance explains the machine war. Optional.
Why each one is optional
What each skippable title is, what it adds if you do watch it, and who is in it.
No. 01 · 2003 · Film · 1h 42m · 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%
The essentials, in release order
- The Matrix1999 · Film · 2h 16mNeo takes the red pill; the place to start.
- The Matrix Reloaded2003 · Film · 2h 18mPicks up six months later; best watched back to back with Revolutions.
- The Matrix Revolutions2003 · Film · 2h 9mEnds the original trilogy.
- The Matrix Resurrections2021 · Film · 2h 28mA sequel 20 years on that comments on the trilogy itself.
Common questions
Do I need to watch every The Matrix title?
No. You can skip 1 of the 5 titles in the The Matrix franchise and still follow the main story: The Animatrix. The essentials (4 titles) take about 9 hours instead of 11 hours.
How long are the The Matrix essentials?
About 9 hours for 4 titles, in release order starting with The Matrix.
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