Watch Order (Release = Chronological)Recommended
0 / 4 watchedThe four films in release order, which is also the order they are set in. No rearranging applies, so there is only one list.
- 1 The Matrix Works as a standalone story with a clear ending point for some viewers.
- 2 The Matrix Reloaded Picks up the same storyline, six months after Neo's choice.
- 3 The Matrix Revolutions Released six months after Reloaded and shot back to back with it.
- 4 The Matrix Resurrections Optional. A soft reboot that reworks the 1999 film's premise.
About The Matrix
There are four Matrix films and they run in a straight line. The Matrix (1999) opens the door. The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions came out six months apart in 2003 and were written as one continuous ending. The Matrix Resurrections (2021) returns to Neo and Trinity twenty years later with a noticeably different, self-aware tone.
The question people actually ask is whether the sequels are required. Reloaded and Revolutions are a single story split across two films, so they are required if you want the ending. Stop after the first film and you still have a complete, self-contained story, just an unresolved one. Resurrections works as an optional epilogue rather than a must-watch.
Good to know
Release order and chronological order are the same sequence here, which is why there is one list. The Animatrix (2003) is nine animated shorts and is optional; its Second Renaissance episodes cover the machine war before the first film, so slot them anywhere. A fifth film from Drew Goddard is announced but undated. As of September 2026 Lilly Wachowski said Goddard is waiting on the Wachowskis' blessing.
