The Matrix watch order
Every film, series, and special in the correct viewing order.
5 entries·~10 hrs total runtime·1999–2021
The Animatrix's stories are set before, during and between the live-action films.
Original Matrix Trilogy
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1
The Matrix
Movie136 min · 1999
The first released entry and the introduction of Neo, Trinity, Morpheus and the Matrix.
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2
The Matrix Reloaded
Movie138 min · 2003
Continues approximately six months after the first film and ends on a cliffhanger leading directly into The Matrix Revolutions.
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3
The Animatrix
Special9 animated shorts, 102 min · 2003
An animated anthology containing the history of the machine war and stories set before and around the original film trilogy.
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4
The Matrix Revolutions
Movie129 min · 2003
Continues immediately after The Matrix Reloaded and concludes the original trilogy's war storyline.
The Matrix Returns
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5
The Matrix Resurrections
Movie148 min · 2021
Continues Neo and Trinity's story approximately 60 years after The Matrix Revolutions.
How many Matrix movies are there?
There are four live-action Matrix films and The Animatrix, an anthology containing nine animated short films.
Do I need to watch The Animatrix before The Matrix Reloaded?
The Animatrix expands the history of the Matrix, and Final Flight of the Osiris directly connects with the situation at the beginning of The Matrix Reloaded.
What order should a first-timer watch The Matrix in?
A first-time viewer should use release order: The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Animatrix, The Matrix Revolutions and The Matrix Resurrections.
Is The Matrix finished or still ongoing?
The Matrix Resurrections is the latest released film, while another Matrix film has entered development but had not been released by September 2026.
See also: Blade Runner watch order.
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