THE MATRIX: Then And F-Ing Now

If you had to choose between harsh reality and a fantasy that gave you nothing short of absolute pleasure, despite being nothing but a fabrication, then which pill would you have chosen — red, or blue? There may not be a timer, but prolonging the moment of whether you love or despise honest truths can never be taken for granted, especially when too much truth can only make those who manipulate it all the more desperate to cling to it. Although 26 years is a long time, the question of choosing between the red pill or the blue pill will never lose its flare. It’s incredible how a film like The Matrix can stand the test of time and pose a theory that challenges our views on reality and the multitude of ways it can be constructed. In the case of The Matrix, the idea that we could live in a simulation is a theory that has been adopted more and more over time — to an extent that the subjectivity revolving around perception has made us more open to interpreting our own interactions with the real world.

At the same time, though, just the overall nature of the term “simulation” is subject to question. After all, what is a simulation? According to Wikipedia (yes, Wikipedia), a simulation “is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time.” The definition continues: “Simulations require the use of models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or process, whereas the simulation represents the evolution of the model over time.” As technically oriented as this language is, it risks misrepresenting the many ways a simulation can be perceived, given that they are mostly associated with the computers that form them.

The Matrix is a film about a simulation created by a computer-generated AI (Artificial Intelligence). This simulation works to nullify and keep the mass population of incubated humans in a state of sleep that replicates modern life. This concept is explored through the journey of the film’s protagonist, Thomas Anderson/Neo (Keanu Reeves), a lone computer programmer. Thomas lives in an average apartment in what is without question a very average and repressively constraining life. He works at a software company that demands immediate conformity at the first sign of behavior that deviates from institutional norms — like being late or lacking the aggressive obedience expected by a boss whose name is as bland as his compulsive desire to indoctrinate workers into a totalitarian work ethic.

There’s a lot to The Matrix, a film that itself is a mountain of ideas and information. When the sage-like character of Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) says, “The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us… It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth,” it only adds to the film’s depth and to the countless influences that helped it (not the sequels) stand the test of time.

What makes The Matrix unique goes beyond the religious allegories that give it thematic flare. There’s also an impressive intellectual depth that invites us to examine the film’s relationship to the modern world — especially the current state we find ourselves in. This March 2025 marked five years since the world entered a global state of panic in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, saying “a lot has happened” would be an understatement of cosmic proportions. We’ve lived through controversies, authoritarian policies, media censorship, shifting narratives about public health, a massive job crisis, and skyrocketing inflation — pushing people toward alternatives like Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, rather than trusting the same federal reserves that told us inflation was “transitory” (LOFL).

It’s easy — if not entirely pessimistic — to be told that the life you’ve been living is a lie. The disbelief that consumes Neo is something no sane human could endure lightly. Learning that he was born in a tube, provided with a simulated life full of memories that never actually happened, raises profound questions about the real world outside the film. But even the term “real world” feels misleading. Sound crazy? Consider that today we live in a world where controversial revelations regularly expose corruption in governments, manipulation by health authorities, and financial systems designed to control rather than serve people — not unlike the human tubes in The Matrix, living out daily routines in a deathlike trance.

That’s a horrifying comparison — and a perfect metaphor for modern life, which continues to flip us the bird with increasing audacity.

What helps The Matrix remain timely is how the rise in public awareness and pushback against misinformation echoes Neo’s transformation. His final speech — “I know you’re out there. I can feel you now. I know that you’re afraid… afraid of us. Afraid of change… I came here to tell you how it’s going to begin…” — lands differently now, in a world where so much has been unmasked. The film taps into our collective exhaustion and craving for agency. Like Neo, we don’t like the idea of not being in control of our lives.

True, absolute control isn’t possible. But the will to assert control — to shape our own beliefs, actions, and perceptions — remains vital. Our perceptions should evolve. They should never become inflexible reflections of our biases.

The Matrix is not just a great film. It’s a guide — a framework for understanding that even if we’re not literally inside a computer simulation (so far as we know), there are always larger forces attempting to seize control. But luckily for us, there’s only so much bullshit the system can pile on before it collapses under its own weight — and when it does, many of us are ready with a big fat middle finger.

So let’s all take the red pill, and follow the rabbit deeper down the hole. Alice has been waiting long enough.