Best Movies like The Matrix (1999)

Dark City, released just before The Matrix, explores the nature of reality and features protagonists uncovering hidden truths about their dystopian world, echoing the source film's core conflict of rebellion against a powerful controlling force and the discovery that the environment is an artificial construct.

A man struggles with memories of his past, including a wife he cannot remember, in a nightmarish world with no sun and run by beings with telekinetic powers who seek the souls of humans. Dark City is a movie from Australia in English, with a total 1h 41m runtime, released in 1998 with an average rating of 7.3 by 3,273 people. The movie made an estimated total of $27,200,000 in the box office.

Ghost in the Shell follows a protagonist questioning their identity in a technologically controlled future, evoking The Matrix’s exploration of artificial realities and the blurred line between human and machine, set within a cyberpunk world where technology shapes society’s fabric.

In the year 2029, the barriers of our world have been broken down by the net and by cybernetics, but this brings new vulnerability to humans in the form of brain-hacking. When a highly-wanted hacker known as 'The Puppetmaster' begins involving them in politics, Section 9, a group of cybernetically enhanced cops, are called in to investigate and stop the Puppetmaster. Ghost in the Shell is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 23m runtime, released in 1995 with an average rating of 7.9 by 3,972 people. The movie made an estimated total of $10,000,000 in the box office.

Inception delves into layered realities rooted in the manipulation of perception, much like The Matrix’s virtual world, with both films centering on teams infiltrating constructed environments and grappling with the uncertainty of what is real or artificial.

Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious. Inception is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 28m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 8.4 by 39,766 people. The movie made an estimated total of $839,030,630 in the box office.

eXistenZ investigates themes of simulated realities and how they affect personal identity, paralleling The Matrix’s core exploration of individuals navigating virtual worlds that challenge their understanding of truth and control by technology.

A game designer on the run from assassins must play her latest virtual reality creation with a marketing trainee to determine if the game has been damaged. eXistenZ is a movie from Canada in English, with a total 1h 37m runtime, released in 1999 with an average rating of 6.8 by 2,223 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,856,712 in the box office.

The Thirteenth Floor presents a virtual reality misperceived as genuine existence, similar to The Matrix’s world where characters must uncover the artificiality of their surroundings and confront those responsible for their reality’s manipulation.

In Los Angeles, a wealthy man, known as Mr. Fuller, discovers a shocking secret about the world he lives in. Fearing for his life, he leaves a desperate message for a friend of his in the most unexpected place. The Thirteenth Floor is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 40m runtime, released in 1999 with an average rating of 7.1 by 1,574 people. The movie made an estimated total of $18,564,088 in the box office.

Paprika highlights the blurring of reality and the subconscious through technological means, resonating with The Matrix’s depiction of alternate worlds shaped by advanced computers and a protagonist’s mission to distinguish true existence from illusion.

Dr. Atsuko Chiba is a research psychologist who uses a device called the DC Mini to enter her patients' dreams, wherein she adopts the alter-ego "Paprika". When the device is stolen, she must stop rogue elements from merging the dream and waking worlds. Paprika is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 1h 30m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 7.8 by 2,936 people. The movie made an estimated total of $946,590 in the box office.

Tron centers around a protagonist pulled into a computer system and forced to survive in a digital realm controlled by a powerful AI, echoing The Matrix’s premise of individuals fighting back within artificial constructs governed by machines.

When brilliant video game maker Flynn hacks the mainframe of his ex-employer, he is beamed inside an astonishing digital world and becomes part of the very game he is designing. In his mission through cyberspace, Flynn matches wits with a maniacal Master Control Program and teams up with Tron, a security measure created to bring balance to the digital environment. Tron is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 1982 with an average rating of 6.6 by 2,800 people. The movie made an estimated total of $33,002,371 in the box office.

A Scanner Darkly features characters entangled in surveillance and shifting realities, reflecting The Matrix’s themes of manipulated perception and protagonists who question the authenticity of their environment under a technological regime.

An undercover cop in a not-too-distant future becomes involved with a dangerous new drug and begins to lose his own identity as a result. A Scanner Darkly is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 40m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 6.8 by 1,984 people. The movie made an estimated total of $7,659,918 in the box office.

Total Recall revolves around manipulated memories and artificial experiences, connecting with The Matrix’s motif of constructed realities and the protagonist’s struggle to distinguish genuine life from technology-driven illusion.

Construction worker Douglas Quaid's obsession with the planet Mars leads him to visit Rekall, a virtual vacation company that manufactures memories. When something goes wrong during Quaid's memory implant procedure, his life turns upside down, leading him to question what is reality and what isn't. Total Recall is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 53m runtime, released in 1990 with an average rating of 7.3 by 6,582 people. The movie made an estimated total of $261,317,921 in the box office.

Videodrome examines the impact of media and technology on perception and reality, aligning with The Matrix’s concerns about manipulated environments and a character’s journey to break free from control exerted by unseen technological forces.

As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. When he happens upon "Videodrome," a TV show dedicated to gratuitous torture and punishment, Max sees a potential hit and broadcasts the show on his channel. However, after his girlfriend auditions for the show and never returns, Max investigates the truth behind Videodrome and discovers that the graphic violence may not be as fake as he thought. Videodrome is a movie from Canada in English, with a total 1h 28m runtime, released in 1983 with an average rating of 7.2 by 2,520 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,120,439 in the box office.

Upgrade examines human interaction with technology in a near-future setting where artificial intelligence and cybernetic enhancements affect autonomy, paralleling The Matrix’s focus on individuals resisting technologically dictated realities.

A brutal mugging leaves Grey Trace paralyzed in the hospital and his beloved wife dead. A billionaire inventor soon offers Trace a cure — an artificial intelligence implant called STEM that will enhance his body. Now able to walk, Grey finds that he also has superhuman strength and agility — skills he uses to seek revenge against the thugs who destroyed his life. Upgrade is a movie from Australia in English, with a total 1h 40m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 7.5 by 5,127 people. The movie made an estimated total of $16,976,561 in the box office.

Avalon portrays characters navigating alternative realities generated by advanced technology, exploring the repercussions of immersive virtual worlds and echoing The Matrix’s foundational concept of escaping and rebelling against computer-created worlds.

In a future world, young people are increasingly becoming addicted to an illegal (and potentially deadly) battle simulation game called Avalon. When Ash, a star player, hears of rumors that a more advanced level of the game exists somewhere, she gives up her loner ways and joins a gang of explorers. Even if she finds the gateway to the next level, will she ever be able to come back to reality? Avalon is a movie from Japan in Polish, with a total 1h 47m runtime, released in 2001 with an average rating of 6.5 by 353 people. The movie made an estimated total of $8,826,094 in the box office.

Brazil offers a dystopian look at society under bureaucratic and technological oppression, sharing The Matrix’s themes of resisting dehumanizing forces and the difficulty of discerning truth in a manipulated environment.

Low-level bureaucrat Sam Lowry escapes the monotony of his day-to-day life through a recurring daydream of himself as a virtuous hero saving a beautiful damsel. Investigating a case that led to the wrongful arrest and eventual death of an innocent man instead of wanted terrorist Harry Tuttle, he meets the woman from his daydream, and in trying to help her gets caught in a web of mistaken identities, mindless bureaucracy and lies. Brazil is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 2h 23m runtime, released in 1985 with an average rating of 7.7 by 3,775 people. The movie made an estimated total of $9,953,708 in the box office.

Snowpiercer explores a post-apocalyptic world dominated by rigid systems of control, aligning with The Matrix’s depiction of resistance movements fighting against oppressive regimes facilitated by advanced technology.

In a future where a failed global-warming experiment kills off most life on the planet, a class system evolves aboard the Snowpiercer; a train that travels around the globe via a perpetual-motion engine. Snowpiercer is a movie from South Korea in Korean, with a total 2h 7m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 6.9 by 10,549 people. The movie made an estimated total of $86,758,912 in the box office.

The Island tells of individuals discovering their world is an artificial construct, mirroring The Matrix’s revelation-driven narrative where protagonists challenge the seemingly real environment orchestrated by powerful forces.

In 2019, Lincoln Six-Echo is a resident of a seemingly "Utopian" but contained facility. Like all of the inhabitants of this carefully-controlled environment, Lincoln hopes to be chosen to go to The Island — reportedly the last uncontaminated location on the planet. But Lincoln soon discovers that everything about his existence is a lie. The Island is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 16m runtime, released in 2005 with an average rating of 6.7 by 5,964 people. The movie made an estimated total of $162,949,164 in the box office.

Minority Report addresses free will, surveillance, and the role of technology in altering reality, much like The Matrix, where protagonists struggle to assert autonomy against computational forces shaping their world.

John Anderton is a top 'Precrime' cop in the late-21st century, when technology can predict crimes before they're committed. But Anderton becomes the quarry when another investigator targets him for a murder charge. Minority Report is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 25m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 7.4 by 9,787 people. The movie made an estimated total of $358,372,926 in the box office.

The Adjustment Bureau follows a protagonist who discovers an unseen force controlling reality’s course, paralleling The Matrix’s narrative of individuals breaking free from frameworks engineered by powerful, hidden entities.

A man glimpses the future Fate has planned for him – and chooses to fight for his own destiny. Battling the powerful Adjustment Bureau across, under and through the streets of New York, he risks his destined greatness to be with the only woman he's ever loved. The Adjustment Bureau is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 46m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 6.8 by 5,004 people. The movie made an estimated total of $127,900,000 in the box office.

Johnny Mnemonic, set in a dystopian future influenced by omnipresent technology, shares The Matrix’s cyberpunk aesthetics and centers on characters resisting the powerful organizations that govern digital and physical worlds.

In a dystopian 2021, Johnny is a data trafficker who has an implant that allows him to securely store data too sensitive for regular computer networks. On one delivery run, he accepts a package that not only exceeds the implant's safety limits—and will kill him if the data is not removed in time—but also contains information far more important and valuable than he had ever imagined. On a race against time, he must avoid the assassins sent to kill him and remove the data before it, too, ends his life. Johnny Mnemonic is a movie from Canada in English, with a total 1h 37m runtime, released in 1995 with an average rating of 5.8 by 1,558 people. The movie made an estimated total of $19,075,720 in the box office.

Surrogates investigates humanity’s increased reliance on artificial life, with characters questioning reality and agency within a technologically dominated world, reflecting The Matrix’s depiction of society under the thrall of computer-controlled systems.

Set in a futuristic world where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots, a cop is forced to leave his home for the first time in years in order to investigate the murders of others' surrogates. Surrogates is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 29m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 6.2 by 3,497 people. The movie made an estimated total of $122,444,772 in the box office.

They Live features a protagonist who discovers a hidden layer of control in society orchestrated by external forces, closely resonating with The Matrix’s narrative of awakening to and rebelling against an artificial reality.

A lone drifter stumbles upon a unique pair of sunglasses that reveal aliens are systematically gaining control of the Earth by masquerading as humans and lulling the public into submission. They Live is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 33m runtime, released in 1988 with an average rating of 7.3 by 3,549 people. The movie made an estimated total of $13,000,000 in the box office.

Predestination uses a science fiction framework to examine identity and paradoxes, tying into The Matrix’s exploration of self-discovery and the effect of advanced technology on the boundaries of personal and collective realities.

Predestination chronicles the life of a Temporal Agent sent on an intricate series of time-travel journeys designed to prevent future killers from committing their crimes. Now, on his final assignment, the Agent must stop the one criminal that has eluded him throughout time and prevent a devastating attack in which thousands of lives will be lost. Predestination is a movie from Australia in English, with a total 1h 38m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 7.4 by 7,205 people. The movie made an estimated total of $4,942,449 in the box office.

Strange Days is set in a world transformed by technology that impacts perception and memory, paralleling The Matrix’s themes of artificial experiences and the pursuit of truth beneath the surface of an altered reality.

In the last days of 1999, ex-cop turned street hustler Lenny Nero receives a disc which contains the memories of the murder of a prostitute. With the help of bodyguard Mace, he starts to investigate and is pulled deeper and deeper in a whirl of murder, blackmail and intrigue. Strange Days is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 25m runtime, released in 1995 with an average rating of 7.0 by 1,583 people. The movie made an estimated total of $17,000,000 in the box office.

Free Guy tells the story of a character who realizes his world is a computer-designed simulation, echoing The Matrix’s concept of protagonists questioning and ultimately defying the fabricated rules of their existence.

A bank teller discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, and decides to become the hero of his own story. Now, in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way before it's too late. Free Guy is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 55m runtime, released in 2021 with an average rating of 7.4 by 9,999 people. The movie made an estimated total of $331,526,598 in the box office.

I Origins investigates the intersection of science, technology, and existential questions, resonating with The Matrix’s central philosophical themes about reality, consciousness, and the influence of advanced technology on human understanding.

A molecular biologist's study of the human eye has far-reaching implications about humanity's scientific and spiritual beliefs. I Origins is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 46m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 7.6 by 3,500 people. The movie made an estimated total of $481,234 in the box office.

Code 46 is set in a future shaped by technological and societal controls, aligning with The Matrix’s depiction of restricted, manipulated societies and individuals fighting for autonomy within artificially constructed environments.

In a dystopian future, insurance fraud investigator William Gold arrives in Shanghai to investigate a forgery ring for "papelles", futuristic passports that record people's identities and genetics. Gold falls for Maria Gonzalez, the woman in charge of the forgeries. After a passionate affair, Gold returns home, having named a coworker as the culprit. But when one of Gonzalez's customers is found dead, Gold is sent back to Shanghai to complete the investigation. Code 46 is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 33m runtime, released in 2003 with an average rating of 6.2 by 402 people.

The Zero Theorem features a protagonist searching for meaning in a dystopian world defined by omnipresent technology and bureaucratic control, sharing The Matrix’s atmosphere of existential struggle within a dehumanized, tech-centric society.

A computer hacker's goal to discover the reason for human existence continually finds his work interrupted thanks to the Management; this time, they send a teenager and lusty love interest to distract him. The Zero Theorem is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 47m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 6.1 by 1,354 people. The movie made an estimated total of $770,706 in the box office.

The Congress uses a blend of animation and live action to explore shifting realities and identity in a world shaped by technology, complementing The Matrix’s investigation into artificially constructed perceptions and rebellion against imposed realities.

An aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn't consider. The Congress is a movie from France in English, with a total 2h 3m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 6.4 by 589 people. The movie made an estimated total of $455,815 in the box office.

Transcendence examines the impact of artificial intelligence on humanity and questions the boundaries of consciousness and technology, themes central to The Matrix’s narrative of sentient computers overseeing and manipulating the fabric of reality.

Two leading computer scientists work toward their goal of Technological Singularity, as a radical anti-technology organization fights to prevent them from creating a world where computers can transcend the abilities of the human brain. Transcendence is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 6.1 by 5,877 people. The movie made an estimated total of $103,039,258 in the box office.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence presents a future where human experiences and relationships are fundamentally altered by sentient computers, relating to The Matrix’s premise of technological entities controlling and defining existence.

David, a robotic boy—the first of his kind programmed to love—is adopted as a test case by a Cybertronics employee and his wife. Though he gradually becomes their child, a series of unexpected circumstances make this life impossible for David. A.I. Artificial Intelligence is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 26m runtime, released in 2001 with an average rating of 7.1 by 6,765 people. The movie made an estimated total of $235,926,552 in the box office.

Equilibrium is set in a dystopian society where an authoritarian regime uses technology to suppress individuality, akin to The Matrix’s world where human freedom is curtailed by omnipotent artificial intelligence systems.

In a dystopian future, a totalitarian regime maintains peace by subduing the populace with a drug, and displays of emotion are punishable by death. A man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system. Equilibrium is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 47m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 7.1 by 5,115 people. The movie made an estimated total of $5,400,000 in the box office.

Children of Men examines life in a future society shaped by authoritarianism and the struggle for hope, corresponding with The Matrix’s depiction of resistance movements fighting oppressive, technologically dominated worlds.

In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea, where her child's birth may help scientists save the future of humankind. Children of Men is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 49m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 7.6 by 7,987 people. The movie made an estimated total of $70,595,464 in the box office.

THX 1138 depicts a tightly controlled, dystopian world where individuality is suppressed by pervasive technological systems, echoing the core dilemma of The Matrix’s protagonists rebelling against computer-enforced order.

People in the future live in a totalitarian society. A technician named THX 1138 lives a mundane life between work and taking a controlled consumption of drugs that the government uses to make puppets out of people. As THX is without drugs for the first time he has feelings for a woman and they start a secret relationship. THX 1138 is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 26m runtime, released in 1971 with an average rating of 6.4 by 1,082 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,437,000 in the box office.

The Fountain weaves metaphysical questions about life and reality into a visually inventive narrative, connecting with The Matrix’s exploration of existential themes and the search for truth beyond the confines of perceived reality.

Spanning over one thousand years, and three parallel stories, The Fountain is a story of love, death, spirituality, and the fragility of our existence in this world. The Fountain is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 6.9 by 3,157 people. The movie made an estimated total of $15,304,890 in the box office.

Cloud Atlas interconnects multiple timelines and characters examining the impact of choices across artificial and authentic realities, reflecting The Matrix’s structural ambition and philosophical investigation into fate, identity, and constructed worlds.

A set of six nested stories spanning time between the 19th century and a distant post-apocalyptic future. Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future. Based on the award winning novel by David Mitchell. Directed by Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis. Cloud Atlas is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 52m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 6.9 by 7,603 people. The movie made an estimated total of $130,482,868 in the box office.