The Matrix • The Next Reel

People often talk about the great movie year of 1999, and one of the great films that came out that year is 'The Matrix,' the film that made bullet-time a filmmaking standard and stunt wire work almost an expectation in action films. But it's a great film because of its script, written by Lana née Larry and Andy Wachowski, who went on to co-direct it as well. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we delve into our next Listener's Choice movie selection with 'The Matrix.' We talk about the script and how it works in the world of science fiction, but also how the script goes beyond that by including elements from a wide variety of other sources — religions, movie genres, writings and theories, etc. We discuss how well it does with these heavier and headier ideas, and if those elements matter when watching the film to make it enjoyable. We chat about the cast and crew and everything they're bringing to the table to create this amazing world. We mention the film just had its 15th birthday and argue about whether it holds up as well as it first did or if it's showing its age now. And we really have to deliberate with this versus several other films we've discussed in previous episodes when trying to rank it on Flickchart. It's a great film that's well worth talking about. Tune in! Hey! You know what would be awesome? If you would drop us a positive rating on iTunes! If you like what we’re doing here on TNR, it really is the best way to make sure that this show appears when others search for it, plus, it’s just a nice thing to do. Thanks!! The Next Reel on iTunesThe Next Reel on FacebookThe Next Reel on TwitterThe Next Reel on FlickchartThe Next Reel on LetterboxdGuess the Movie with The Next Reel on InstagramCheck out the Posters with The Next Reel on Pinterest And for anyone interested in our fine bouquet of show hosts: Follow Andy Nelson on TwitterFollow Pete Wright on TwitterFollow Steve Sarmento on TwitterCheck out Tom Metz on IMDBFollow Mike Evans on TwitterFollow Chadd Stoops on TwitterSupport The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible