The Matrix (1999) – why it’s still relevant today

The Matrix is still one of the most talked about movies ever made, despite now being 25 years old. The more time that goes by, the more likely the proposition that our reality is computer-generated and possibly controlled by AI.

I still find myself drawn to the Matrix, which was released in 1999, because the premise has never been as evident as it is today with the advance in technology and AI in particular.

The following scene depicts Neo being shown the true nature of reality, which for him is hard to grasp. As we have illustrated in previous posts, there is a lot of discussion even in the scientific community about the basis of everything being bits (sub-atomic), suggesting our environment and world is an advanced video game or simulation. Even though humans are depicted as being used as batteries for energy in the film, many say the original idea was to use human brains to create a neural network for the machines, therefore creating unprecedented processing power and compute.

There are a lot of parallels between the movie and our reality in that those who are not awake would do anything to defend the system because their identities and characters are all they know. Cypher’s famous quote “ignorance is bliss” from the movie may well be one of the most appropriate of all times.

In truth it is hard to speculate on the nature of base reality, or if the reality ‘up’ is even a base reality at all. The book Reality+ by David Chalmers suggests that there may be stacks of simulations, perhaps all advanced societies eventually reaching a simulation point (when hyper-realistic and detailed simulations can be created), leaving their now depleted world to wither away.

Another significant scene in the film is when Morpheus is captured by agent Smith, who explains why reality has been programmed the way it has. In another interesting take, many have speculated the link between the movie and theology, suggesting that Neo may be a representation of Jesus Christ. In Reality+, Chalmers takes an opposing view, suggesting that Smith may actually represent Christ. After all, we give praise to our creator, which in this scenario would be the machines. Therefore Neo could be seen as Judus Iscariot in some interpretations of the film. In summary, I still believe the Matrix is one of the most important movies ever made.