With the long-awaited sequel to The Matrix trilogy coming out in just a few months, there are loads of films, both old and new that are worth watching to get you in the mood for more sci-fi action.
The Matrix – which came out in 1999 – represented a serious turning of the tides in popular culture. It brought rise to the familiarity of IT and technology, we now have people who call themselves experts in tech, people like an Office 365 Consultant or Microsoft Expert who can provide specific support. It helped bring the idea of technology and computers into the mainstream; and as we have all seen, technology has become an extremely important part of everyone’s life. We’ve seen how this kind of technology and expertise has been included in IT Support North London Solutions that companies are using. In the 1990s, technology, and home PCs were just becoming more widely available, and The Matrix was one of the more successful films that captured that rising trend.
So, whether you’re a fan of The Matrix, or film history, or just Science Fiction films in general, here are some relevant films to watch in preparation for The Matrix: Resurrections.
The Matrix Trilogy
This entry is obvious, but important to acknowledge! The Matrix was a truly innovative film. It introduced a lot of ideas to the mainstream popular culture. The world that is created was both fascinating and terrifying, the sequels (The Matrix: Reloaded, and The Matrix: Revolutions) built upon that world in interesting ways – incorporating concepts of computer science, programming, and robotics. Anyone planning to see The Matrix: Resurrections should definitely brush up on the original trilogy.
Johnny Mnemonic
This forgotten flop of the 1990s has a strong connection with The Matrix in several ways. To start with, it is another dystopian science fiction film that stars Keanu Reeves! But that is not the most interesting connection.
Some people will be aware that ‘The Matrix’ was not a term that originated with the 1999 film. In fact, many of the concepts within The Matrix films originated with the works of William Gibson – a renowned science fiction author. Gibson’s Sprawl Trilogy were the first pieces of fiction to use the term ‘the Matrix’ in the way we recognize it today.
Johnny Mnemonic was a short story written by William Gibson and set in the same universe as the Sprawl Trilogy – it tells the story of the titular character, who traffics sensitive computer data using cybernetic implants in his brain.
While this film was not the classic hit that it’s cousin, The Matrix, would turn out to be, it is still a lot of fun and an interesting watch if you appreciate the literary connection.
Dark City
Another 90s sci-fi that was left in the shadows by The Matrix, Dark City is a neo-noir film with some curious similarities to the Matrix. Both have a protagonist that experiences an awaking, realizing that their world is not real, and must face enemies with uniform appearances and seemingly supernatural powers; and finally, both main characters eventually unlock powers that enable them to manipulate reality. There are even curious similarities between the films’ dialogue and shot choices.
However, Dark City differs drastically in its visual style. Taking influence from classic films such as Metropolis, Brazil, and even Hellraiser, Dark City presents a heavy and surreal world that is unique from the more popular Matrix films.
The Thirteenth Floor
This film came out the same year as The Matrix (yes, it too was overshadowed) and tells an almost inverse story. The Thirteenth Floor tells the story of a team of scientists living in the 1990s, who invent a virtual simulation of the 1930s, which they can enter and live in – almost the identical principle that is explored in The Matrix, except the other way around! After one of the scientists that invented the virtual world is murdered, the main character, Douglas Hall, go into their virtual world to uncover the truth.
The Truman Show
A much more grounded story, but in many ways just as surreal as The Matrix. The Truman Show is a classic story of a man living in a fake world. In this film, Truman Burbank, a seemingly normal Insurance Salesman, is in fact that star of a groundbreaking reality show and was raised from birth to believe he was living in the perfect town of Seahaven Island. Slowly, Truman begins to realize the town he grew up in is not what it seems, and we follow him as he uncovers the truth, even with all powers working against him. Imagine having a bird’s eye view of someone’s entire life, it’s almost like the complete coverage that a partner who provides Business IT Support London Solutions gives their clients!
Whilst The Truman Show is not strictly a science fiction film, it explores many of the same concepts, and is a superb film in general. It’s definitely worth a watch.
