Netflix adds sci-fi sequel released 22 years after landmark original – it splits opinion

Netflix has added a major new movie to its streaming catalogue, but it's one that might divide opinion more than most (and might not convince anyone that Netflix is the best streaming service around right now either).

The Matrix Resurrections is now available to watch at no extra cost, having been added at the start of this month, and offers a somewhat mind-bending extension of the story from the original Matrix trilogy. 

It was met with some of the most mixed reviews you could ever ask for when it first arrived in theaters in 2021 – that being 22 years after the landmark original hit the big screen back in 1999.

Since the fourth installment's arrival the gap between those who love Resurrections and those who hate it only seems to have grown larger (we're thankful to be in the former camp). 

The movie sees the return of Keanu Reeves' iconic character Neo, some 20 years after the events of The Matrix Revolutions. He's trapped in a confusing existence, seemingly a hugely successful videogame designer but with an aching hole in his life that he can't put his finger on.

It doesn't take long for a new resistance to find him and reveal that he's still trapped in the Matrix. Then things get incredibly meta-textual. 

Helmed by Lana Wachowski herself, the movie brings back Carrie-Anne Moss too, reprising her role as Trinity with aplomb, and it's more a continuation of her and Neo's epic love story than it is any number of other options. 

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There are some truly amazing action sequences to enjoy, of course, including high-wire antics that knowingly play with the limits of what would actually be possible. Y'know, in the 'real world', whatever that means any more...

There's also a whole cast's worth of memorable new faces, from Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jessica Henwick to Christina Ricci and Jonathan Groff – with Neil Patrick Harris putting in a particular scenery-chewing turn. 

Interestingly, Resurrections has settled down to Rotten Tomatoes scores that are perfectly mirrored between critics and audiences – both sit at 63%. It's a decent illustration of the variety of opinions out there about it, although we'd arguably rather watch a movie interesting enough to provoke discussion than one that's more unanimously praised yet very standard. 

The good news is that whether you love it or hate it, Resurrections looks astonishing visually, so be sure to watch it on the best TV you can manage (if that's our ultimate favourite, the Samsung S95D, the more the better!).