1. The Matrix (1999)

A computer hacker named Neo discovers that the world he lives in is actually a massive computer simulation called The Matrix. The true reality is that humanity lost a war to intelligent machines, and now humans are grown in pods and used as a battery source. A group of rebels led by Morpheus and Trinity frees Neo because they believe he is “The One”—a prophesied person who can bend the rules of the Matrix and end the war. Neo accepts the truth, learns his powers, and starts fighting the Machines’ powerful security programs, the Agents.

2. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

Neo is now the powerful “One.” The Machine army is digging its way toward Zion, the last human city in the real world. Neo must search for answers and meets a program called the Architect, who reveals that Neo is not the first “One,” but part of a cycle created by the Machines to keep the system stable. Neo chooses to ignore the Architect’s plan to save Trinity, which breaks the cycle. At the same time, the rogue Agent Smith gains the power to copy himself everywhere, becoming a huge threat to both humans and machines.

3. The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

The war comes to a head. The Machines launch their final attack on Zion. To save the humans, Neo makes a deal with the Machine leader: he will go into the Matrix to destroy the viral Agent Smith, who is now out of control and threatening the entire simulation. Neo fights Smith in a huge final battle, sacrificing himself to allow the Machines to erase Smith. This ends the war, and a truce is created between humans and Machines. The Matrix is reset, and anyone who wants to can now leave the simulation.

4. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

Sixty years later, Neo is back in the Matrix, living as Thomas Anderson, a game designer who thinks his past life was just a game he created. He is trapped and suppressed by a program called the Analyst. However, his memories return when a new rebel group frees him. Neo learns that he and Trinity were revived by the Machines to create a new, more stable Matrix powered by their constant, deep love for each other. Neo re-enters the Matrix to free Trinity, and together, they break free from the Analyst’s control and gain new powers to reshape the Matrix as they wish.