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Watch order

Matrix movie watch order

Warner Bros.’ The Matrix theatrical films from The Matrix (1999) through The Matrix Resurrections (2021). Release lists every US premiere. Story follows the same four-film ladder—no mid-series reorder on this page. The Animatrix, games, and “does Resurrections count” debates stay optional. Sci-fi action neighbors: Terminator and Mission Impossible.

Updated August 2026

Release order

When each Matrix film opened in US theaters—from The Matrix (March 31, 1999) through The Matrix Resurrections (December 22, 2021). Best first path in 2026: watch all four in premiere order. Story uses the same sequence.

  • First watch → Release: Matrix → Reloaded → Revolutions → Resurrections
  • Original trilogy only → stop after Revolutions if you want the 1999–2003 arc closed
  • Resurrections → sequel after Revolutions, not a soft reboot wipe
  • Animatrix / games → optional, not required between films
Story order tips

Film continuity that matches Release: The Matrix → Reloaded → Revolutions → Resurrections. No Animatrix insert between chapters on this page—shorts and games stay optional flavor.

  • 1999 → The Matrix (Neo wakes up)
  • Reloaded → Revolutions as the Zion war two-parter
  • Same order as Release—no Tokyo Drift–style move
  • 2021 → Resurrections continues after the trilogy

Timeline

When each season premiered in the US. Expand a row for dates and where it fits in your watch order.

Release order

  1. The Matrix

    The Matrix

    TheatricalStreamingMain sagaLive-action

    Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s 1999 landmark sends Keanu Reeves’s Neo through red-pill revelation, bullet-time gunfights, and a machine-prison metaphor that invents the franchise’s cyber-noir grammar. Still the required start on both tabs.

    Overview
    Wire-fu spectacle meets simulation philosophy: green code rain, Agent Smith as system antivirus, and a chosen-one prophecy every sequel still answers. Correct opener so Reloaded’s world-building lands as escalation, not a cold open.
    Related games
    Franchise opener. Story and Release agree on first place. Sci-fi neighbors: Terminator and Wolfenstein.
    Where it fits
    Start here on Release and on Story. Required before Reloaded either way.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release March 31, 1999 (Warner Bros.).
  2. The Matrix Reloaded

    The Matrix Reloaded

    TheatricalStreamingMain sagaLive-action

    The 2003 middle chapter expands Zion, the Merovingian’s underworld, and freeway set pieces as Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus race a machine siege—designed as the first half of a same-year two-parter with Revolutions.

    Overview
    Blockbuster scale-up: burly brawl choreography, highway mayhem, and lore dumps (Architect, Oracle) that turn the simulation myth into a war epic. Watch Revolutions next—this film ends mid-arc on purpose.
    Related games
    First half of the 2003 duology. Story’s next title is Revolutions, not Resurrections.
    Where it fits
    Watch after The Matrix. Same second place on Story. Do not stop here if you want the Zion war closed.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release May 15, 2003 (Warner Bros.).
  3. The Matrix Revolutions

    The Matrix Revolutions

    TheatricalStreamingMain sagaLive-action

    Six months after Reloaded, the 2003 closer pays off the machine war—Mecha battles for Zion, Neo’s final confrontation with Smith, and a trilogy endpoint many fans still treat as a complete stop before the long gap to Resurrections.

    Overview
    Finale grammar for the original three: siege spectacle, rain-soaked Smith fight, and a peace beat that Resurrections later reopens rather than soft-rebooting from zero.
    Related games
    Closes the Reloaded/Revolutions pair. Next theatrical chapter is Resurrections (2021). Action-scale neighbor: Mission Impossible.
    Where it fits
    Third on both tabs. End of the original trilogy block; Resurrections is optional if you only want 1999–2003.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release November 5, 2003 (Warner Bros.).
  4. The Matrix Resurrections

    The Matrix Resurrections

    TheatricalStreamingMain sagaLive-action

    Lana Wachowski’s 2021 return—Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss back as Neo and Trinity—treats the original trilogy as lived history inside a new Matrix layer, not as a separate universe wipe. Debated tone; still the fourth theatrical title on this page.

    Overview
    Meta-sequel energy: legacy cast, new crew (Bugs, Niobe’s era), and a story that argues with franchise nostalgia instead of pretending 1999 never happened. Continuity continuation after Revolutions, not a hard Elseworlds reboot.
    Related games
    Current Story and Release endpoint among theatrical films. The Animatrix and games remain optional. Sci-fi neighbor: Resident Evil movies.
    Where it fits
    Last on Release and on Story. Watch after the trilogy for full context; skip if you only want the 1999–2003 arc closed.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical release December 22, 2021 (Warner Bros.).

FAQ

Release vs Story (same path), where Resurrections sits, Animatrix and games as optional extras, and related sci-fi shelves.

Watch order

For these films, Story matches US release order. There is no mid-series reorder. Use either tab—the four titles line up. The Animatrix is optional flavor, not a fifth title on Story.

Sequels & debates

Not if you only want the original trilogy. Resurrections (2021) continues after Revolutions in the same continuity. Watch it for the full four-film shelf; skip it if you are happy ending at the 2003 closer. It is not a hard reboot that replaces 1999–2003.

What’s included

No. The Animatrix (2003) is an optional anime anthology that expands the world around the trilogy. It is not a release or story title on this page. Watch it for curiosity between Reloaded and Revolutions or after the trilogy—never required.

More timelines

Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.