The Matrix movies in order
Four films in a straight line, plus one animated anthology that is the actual beginning of the story.
Updated 4 August 2026 · 5 titles tracked
The films themselves are simple: The Matrix, Reloaded, Revolutions, Resurrections, in that order. Reloaded and Revolutions were shot together and are effectively one film in two halves.
The only real question is The Animatrix.
Every Matrix title in order
The four features run in release order. The Animatrix is the only placement question.
- 1The Matrix1999 · The Original Trilogy · Essential
- 2The Matrix Reloaded2003 · The Original Trilogy · Essential
- 3The Matrix Revolutions2003 · The Original Trilogy · Essential
- 4The Animatrix2003 · The Animatrix
- 5The Matrix Resurrections2021 · The Return
Where The Animatrix goes
The Animatrix is nine animated shorts from different directors. Two of them — "The Second Renaissance" parts one and two — tell how the machines rose, how the war started, and why the sky is black. That is chronologically the beginning of everything.
But watch it after the first film, not before. The Second Renaissance is devastating precisely because you already know what the world became. Watched first, it is a history lesson for a place you have not visited.
The recommended slot is between The Matrix and Reloaded, which is also roughly when it was released.
Are the sequels worth it?
The first film is self-contained and ends satisfyingly. Plenty of people watch it and stop, and that is a legitimate way to experience The Matrix.
Reloaded and Revolutions are more divisive, and much more interested in philosophy than the original. If you liked the ideas more than the action, they reward you. If it was the other way round, the freeway chase in Reloaded is still one of the best ever filmed.
And Resurrections?
The 2021 film is openly about being a sequel nobody asked for — Lana Wachowski made it partly to stop Warner Bros. making one without her, and the film says so out loud in its first act. That makes it fascinating and uneven in roughly equal measure. Watch it last, if at all.
Common questions
What order should I watch The Matrix movies?
Release order: The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Resurrections. Watch The Animatrix after the first film.
When should I watch The Animatrix?
After the first film, before Reloaded. Its "Second Renaissance" shorts are chronologically first but land much harder once you know what the world became.
Do I need to watch the Matrix sequels?
No. The first film is self-contained with a satisfying ending. The sequels are more philosophical and considerably more divisive.