Movies

‘The Matrix Resurrections’ First Official Trailer Promises Action and Intrigue

'The Matrix Resurrections' promises plenty of action and intrigue in the fourth installment of the popular movie series.

by Mario Boucher

Published on September 9, 2021

4 min read

After 18 years, we are invited to revisit the world of one of the most seminal movies ever made and plug back into The Matrix franchise. The first official trailer raises plenty of questions for fans to chew on until the film’s release on Dec. 22. Is the concept of being manipulated by technology still relevant? Or even more so today? Will The Matrix Resurrections continue the philosophy from the previous movies? Let’s dive into the rabbit hole.

Neo and revisiting the world of ‘The Matrix’

Get ready to be assaulted by quick images at the beginning of the trailer. Neo (Keanu Reeves) is visiting a psychiatrist (Neil Patrick Harris). He sees a black cat, déjà vu from the first film.

While Harris’ character talks to Neo, we see flashes of quick images, including Neo walking on a deserted street at night with matrix codes surrounding him. The quick cuts feature a character rumored to be a young Morpheus (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) shooting, Neo waking up in a sticky pods, and the back of a woman sitting in a chair that could be Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) like the opening of the original movie.

Then, Neo asks Harris’ character, “Am I crazy?” Well, there’s a loaded question! The psychiatrist responds, “We don’t use that word in here.” The keyword is “in,” likely meaning in the Matrix. And then, there’s Neo in a bathtub, with a rubber ducky? In computer programming, this can refer to debugging and how a programmer (like Neo) explains coding in simple terms.

Neo and Trinity meet cute in a coffee shop but don’t appear to know each other. “Have we met?” she asks, as they shake hands. Are they new versions of familiar characters? Or the same with no memory? Then, we see Neo popping an awful lot of blue pills (just the thing you need to fall asleep after a long day, right?). And he looks at himself in the mirror making a funny face. More on that in a second.

Carrie-Anne Moss looks at Keanu Reeves as he speaks into a microphone. — Carrie-Anne Moss and Keanu Reeves | Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

Exploring technology and philosophy in ‘The Matrix’

There is an elevator scene with Neo staring at people, all busy on their smartphones. Obviously, director Lana Wachowski shows how enthralled we are with technology. How can we be free from The Matrix if enslaved by its technology? Could major corporations and the elite be a stand-in for The Matrix?

“Go Ask Alice” from Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” is heard as Neo enters a coffee shop and meets with someone who appears to be a younger version of the Oracle. One of the most intriguing shots comes next when Neo looks at himself in the mirror and we see a different face fade in and out. Does it hint that Neo has hijacked another body the way Agent Smith did in the trilogy?

Neo meets a woman with a white rabbit tattoo (Jessica Henwick), who seems to play a similar role to Trinity in the first film. “If you want the truth, Neo … you’re going to have to follow me.” She definitely has a blue motif going on. On the flip side, Mateen’s character features red, a link to reality. He is likely referring to Trinity when he tells Neo that “the only thing that matters to you is still here.” They fight in a dojo until Neo tells him, “You don’t know me.” And knocks him off his feet!

‘The Matrix Resurrections’ promises plenty of exciting action

The rest of the trailer shows a lot of quick shots. Some of the images highlight Henwick’s character shooting and jumping over a police cruiser and running up walls in a corridor. She seems to defy gravity like a young Trinity. Remember that earlier in the trailer she served as the conduit for Neo, as Trinity did in the first film. One wonders if she could be Neo and Trinity’s daughter?

By the way, if you still have doubts about Mateen’s character being a young Morpheus, check out how he uses both hands to shoot at assailants, just like the original Morpheus. Plus, the sunglasses!

A few shots show Trinity kicking butt against numerous officers before letting out a primal scream … just as the lyrics refers to a “red queen” … a cold and calculating character in Alice in Wonderland. Was it purposely added by Lana Wachowski? Trinity with dual identities? Or just a coincidence?

Finally, the trailer show Neo doing what he does best, stopping bullets against an army and using his powers to stop a helicopter. Neo and Trinity are definitely in a major motorcycle chase sequence in the movies with lots of explosions. The final shot of the duo has them jumping off a high-rise building. These last few images implies The Matrix Resurrections will focus on Neo and Trinity.

‘The Matrix Resurrections’ promises an intriguing story

The last scene in the trailer involves Neo listening to Jonathan Groff’s character telling him that “After all these years, to be going back to where it all started … back to the Matrix.” It looks like Groff’s character could be the new architect. But in a teaser trailer, he suffers the same mouth-erasing torture as Neo did in the first movie.

One of the best shots in the teaser trailer involves Neo walking toward what looks like a café called “Simulatte” (because one cup is not enough?) with a “One Way” sign pointing directly to the entrance.

There are a lot of clues for fans to ponder as they wait for The Matrix Resurrections to come out on Dec. 22 in theaters and on HBO Max. What will this fourth installment, 18 years after the original trilogy, add to the world of The Matrix?