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The Matrix watch order

All four Matrix films and The Animatrix, in the order they came out and in story order. It is the same order the emberslate app uses for its Matrix saga.

Updated · By emberfold labs

The short answer

Watch in release order, starting with The Matrix (1999), so the mystery lands the way it was meant to. The Animatrix, a set of short animated films, is optional. The five titles take about 11 hours.

Titles
5 films, 0 series
Everything
about 11 hours
Core path
about 9 hours
Films only
about 11 hours

Release order

The Matrix in release order

The order they came out. We recommend it for a first watch, so the mystery lands the way it was meant to.

  1. The Matrix poster01

    The Matrix (1999)

    Film · 2h 16mCore

  2. The Matrix Reloaded poster02

    The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

    Film · 2h 18mCore

  3. The Animatrix poster03

    The Animatrix (2003)

    Film · 1h 42mOptional

    Short films. Can be watched any time after The Matrix.

  4. The Matrix Revolutions poster04

    The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

    Film · 2h 9mCore

  5. The Matrix Resurrections poster05

    The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

    Film · 2h 28mCore

Chronological order

The Matrix in chronological order

The order the story happens in, starting with the origins of the machine war in The Animatrix.

  1. The Animatrix poster01

    The Animatrix (2003)

    Film · 1h 42mOptional

    Short films. Start here for the origins of the machine war, such as The Second Renaissance.

  2. The Matrix poster02

    The Matrix (1999)

    Film · 2h 16mCore

  3. The Matrix Reloaded poster03

    The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

    Film · 2h 18mCore

  4. The Matrix Revolutions poster04

    The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

    Film · 2h 9mCore

  5. The Matrix Resurrections poster05

    The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

    Film · 2h 28mCore

Release order or chronological order?

Release order is the best way in. The Matrix keeps its secrets for the first film, and watching it first lets them land.

Chronological order starts with The Animatrix, which covers the origins of the machine war. It works as a rewatch, but it gives away the film's central mystery if you see it first.

The Animatrix

The Animatrix is a collection of short animated films set in the Matrix world. It is marked optional, and it can be watched at any time after The Matrix.

What you can skip

Anything not marked core can wait. The main story does not need it, so watch it whenever you like.

  • The Animatrix poster

    The Animatrix (2003)

    Short films. Can be watched any time after The Matrix.

Track it

Track the The Matrix saga in emberslate

The Sagas tab in the emberslate app has this exact order. Switch between release and chronological order, mark the next step watched, and see how far through you are. It is free on Android.

Get emberslate on Google Play
The Matrix saga in the emberslate app: 5 films including The Animatrix shorts, with The Matrix ticked as watched, The Matrix Reloaded up next, Mark watched and Skip buttons, and a switch between Release and Chronological order.

The Matrix watch order questions

What order should I watch The Matrix movies in?

Release order: The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Animatrix (optional), The Matrix Revolutions and The Matrix Resurrections.

Do I need to watch The Animatrix?

No. It is a set of animated shorts marked optional, and the films can be followed without it.

Should I watch The Matrix in chronological order?

Only on a rewatch. Story order starts with The Animatrix, which gives away the central mystery of the first film.

Do I need to watch The Matrix Resurrections?

It continues the story after Revolutions, so yes if you want the full series. It is the fourth film.

The order and the core, optional and save-for-later marks are the ones the emberslate app uses for this saga. Titles, years and runtimes come from TMDB; series runtimes count aired episodes only and are rounded. First published .