Top 10 List (All-Time Faves): 4. The Matrix (1999)

4. The Matrix (1999)

I would say that The Matrix is hands-down one of the coolest films of recent time, however, the fact that it spawned a fashion movement that is, at best, unsettling to witness may slightly detract from the awesome impact of the film and its reception after release. In truth though, The Matrix inspired all action films and VFX that came after it in ways that cannot be understated. The revelation of the techno-mix of VFX kung-fu with bullet-dodging, gravity-warping fight scenes, was like nothing that had been seen on-screen before and a certain game changer for the sci-fi action genre.

The plot itself, though dystopian like many other science fiction stories, subverts the usual tropes of its genre. Though it technically does take place in the future, it relates back to our own present time (then-1999). The film throws the audience for a complete spin by innovatively calling into question the complete reality that Neo (and, as a result, we, the audience) live within. The fact that the audience will likely come out of the film asking whether, like Neo, their own world only exists within the 'Matrix' is one of the most compelling aspects of the film (the notion that our world simply exists as a simulation within a program is something scientists have since hypothesized on and could not, in fact, disprove, thereby making it an actual possibility... whaaaaat). These are not light ideas that the film toils with and, when the film is not running at its high-octane speed, it is often philosophical discussion and ideas like these, conveyed in a quite competent manner, that the film centres upon.

The concept of the 'Matrix' itself creates an open visual canvass for where the Wachowskis could take their film - mind-bending physics, cool outfits (as mentioned above), weapons and vehicles of every variety, and more, are all possible and all displayed within the film. The Wachowskis are helped out by a great ensemble cast - Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving and Joe Pantoliano are all at their best here, and each of them may ultimately be best-remembered for their roles in The Matrix.

Whether you are in the mood for some of the best action sequences that have ever been put to film, you're in for an intelligent dystopian and highly-philosophical science-fiction story, or you simply want to be drawn into the uber-cool world of The Matrix, then this film is for you. Even twenty years later, all of these elements of the film still hold up remarkably well, which makes The Matrix, not only a classic, but a film that one can throw on at anytime and (depending on if you take the red pill or the blue) you will be quickly downloaded into.