The Matrix Resurrections is the fourth installment in the Matrix franchise releasing to theaters and HBO Max on December 22, 2021. The movie reintroduces iconic characters such as Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) back into the Matrix with unexplored plot lines and major call backs to the original trilogy.

The beginning of the movie is a direct recall to the original movie but has a different outcome that alters the original timeline of the Matrix. The new timeline still is based directly after the Matrix trilogy, but Neo and Trinity are trapped within the Matrix in order for it to gain more energy. With the guidance of Morpheus (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), the movie follows Neo navigating what is real and what is forced into his mind as he attempts to rescue Trinity from the Matrix.

The movie uses Neo’s perceived reality to show that when he disconnected from the Matrix, he was able to form relationships that felt real instead of being forced. The movie was able to convey that when someone can disconnect from the everyday cycle for a moment, they can form something of importance.

The movie focuses primarily on nostalgia that comes across as a cheap way to bring in a wider audience. Paired with the mediocre acting and the slow action sequences, only people with a nostalgic attachment to the series should watch it. I give it a 2/5 shields.