“Show, Don’t Tell” – unless Telling works this well.
Perhaps the two Matrix sequels suffered not because of their exposition, but because they used so many more words to say so much less. The magic trick in The Matrix, as Lessons from the Screenplay examines, is that explanation and action interact and enhance, rather than interrupt, one another:
In the years since The Matrix films were released, their director siblings, Lana and Lilly Wachowski, have come out as transgender. This has informed many re-readings of the text and subtext of the films, particularly the original – including this stunning video essay from Now You See It:
Accompanying the original release of the film was this behind-the-scenes featurete, The Making of The Matrix (1999):
More BTS of Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Laurence Fishburne in training for the fight scenes:
Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne working hard on the fight scenes for the film The Matrix, released in 1999. pic.twitter.com/L1d8WpcoST
— Stephen Gibbons (@Gibboanxious) June 21, 2026
This entire thread on the making of The Matrix is fascinating (via All The Right Movies):
Bonus
Carrie-Anne Moss and Keanu Reeves celebrating the success of The Matrix in 1999:
Further Viewing
Even the film’s original theatrical trailer is an example of classic tropes done well:
Among all the pioneering special effects and much-imitated visuals in The Matrix is some classic filmic storytelling. The “red pill / blue pill” scene is one of the examples we break down to help understand how dialogue is covered using Shot / Reverse Shot and the 180 degree rule:
So you know about the sequels, but have you seen the amazing film the Wachowskis made before The Matrix?
Over the years since their release, The Matrix sequels, Reloaded (2003) and Revolutions (2004), have been revisited, reassessed, rewritten, and re-read:
The Matrix Resurrections (2021) is a messy-but-heartfelt response to both the 1999 film and the influence it’s had on the real world in the two decades since: