In 1999, The Matrix became an overnight sensation when the directorial duo Lana and Lilly Wachowski unveiled their soon-to-be sci-fi classic to the world. Starring Keanu Reeves as Neo, Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity and Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus, this groundbreaking movie marked the beginning of a hugely successful blockbuster franchise that now includes a trilogy (The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions), an anthology of anime short films (The Animatrix) and a soft meta-reboot (The Matrix Resurrections). There's also a documentary about the making of the original film, and canonical stories in video games and comic books.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to watch The Matrix movies in order and show you where to watch them on popular streaming services in the United States. We’ll also let you know if there are options to stream The Matrix movies legally for free.
How to watch The Matrix movies in order
If you only want to watch The Matrix feature-length movies, you can watch them chronologically in exactly the same way they were released.
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The Matrix (1999)
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The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
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The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
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The Matrix: Resurrections (2021)
This is a great viewing order if you're watching the franchise for the first time. However, if you want to "take the red pill" and dive deeper into the franchise, there's an expanded universe of short films and video games to enjoy too.
How to watch The Matrix movies in chronological order
The Wachowskis have always been ambitious storytellers, expanding The Matrix lore with canonical stories in video games (Enter the Matrix, The Matrix Online and Path of Neo) and The Animatrix – which offers some of the franchise’s best storylines. So, if you’re ready to see how far the rabbit hole goes, here’s how to watch the Matrix franchise chronologically.
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The Animatrix: The Second Renaissance, Part I and II
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The Animatrix: A Detective Story
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The Matrix
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The Animatrix: Kid's Story
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The Animatrix: Final Flight of the Osiris
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Enter the Matrix – Video game
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The Matrix Reloaded
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The Matrix Revolutions
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The Matrix: Path of Neo – Video game
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The Matrix Online: The Matrix Online – Video game
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The Animatrix: Beyond
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The Matrix: Resurrections
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The Animatrix: World Record – Exact timeframe unknown
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The Animatrix: Matriculated – Exact timeframe unknown
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The Animatrix: Program – Exact timeframe unknown
The Animatrix: The Second Renaissance, Part I and II takes place during the human/machine war in the mid-21st century. According to Morpheus’ estimations, everything from The Animatrix: A Detective Story until The Animatrix: Beyond then takes place circa 2199. Then, The Matrix: Resurrections picks up the story 18 years later. Three Animatrix shorts have no exact timeframe, so the best option is to watch those last.
Another important release for Matrix completists is The Matrix Revisited. This 2001 documentary shows the making of the first movie in 1999, revealing how many of the stunts were performed and explaining the movie’s revolutionary CGI techniques.
Where can I watch The Matrix movies in release order?
Below you can find the latest streaming information for every Matrix movie. You can check each movie’s availability on streaming services and find out if they are available online.
