One of the things I enjoy about being a journalist is that stories, ideas and thoughts can come from all kinds of places: for example, when on a date and discussing the topic of movies, it occurred to me that The matrix It's a “happy” movie.
I smiled at that; For those who don't know the push of The matrix is that robots rose up against humans and enslaved our consciousness in a virtual world while using us as biological batteries, and the few people who escaped the system now enter the titular Matrix to free the chosen humans from this virtual prison. From that premise, and the dark, cyberpunk tone of the film, I would never have thought to describe it as happy.
But then, as the discussion progressed, I realized my date's thought.
In the end, The matrix It is a happy film because it has many of the archetypes of a visual experience from which one comes away happy and encouraged; the good guys defeat the bad guys, Neo is 'The One' and a promised savior, no one important dies, and the scenery-chewing Mr. Smith is 'killed off' in the most satisfying way.
Look
Of course, there is more to this. Unlike the successive Matrix films that attempted to instill the kind of philosophical talk one might expect from slightly inebriated college students, the first film was schooly, gorgeously shot and stylish, albeit in a late '90s style.
The pacing was perfect, starting with a young Keanu Reeves as Mr. Anderson and his journey to becoming Neo. At the time, it was dark, gritty, and had some challenges for those of a squeamish nature: the mechanical bug entering Neo's body through his belly button and Neo waking up in the real world in a gross, almost Giger-esque bio-battery capsule; however, this later turned into a feel-good moment, where Neo “knows Kung-Fu” and does a good job holding his own against a tougher, more experienced Morpheus.
Throughout the matrix, There are numerous happy, “feel good” moments, all set at a satisfying pace. Who can forget the classic “guns, lots of guns” moment, the absolutely brilliant and innovative slow-motion shootout in the hallway, Neo's ability to dodge bullets, and the rescue of Morpheus? And, of course, the ending, which is basically a bunch of heroic punch-in-the-air scenes.
You could argue that, versus more recent sci-fi/cyberpunk storytelling, The matrix It's a little dated and almost one note. But that's what makes it a happy movie: you don't need to work your gray matter too much to have a pleasant time. And its action, camerawork and direction stand the test of time; I think the color palette helps negate any CGI that might look a little complicated in 2026.
Taking all this into account, and given that January is considered a fairly depressing month in the northern hemisphere, I would suggest giving The matrix a watch this weekend if you want a little encouragement.
It should be available to stream in the US on HBO Max and Apple TV+, as well as other on-demand services, and on Now TV in the UK if you opt for the Entertainment tier.
Likewise, for what it's worth, may I suggest looking to grab The matrix on 4K Blu-ray. I think it's one of those films that will always be enduring and worth adding to one's physical media collection; In 4K, the action should look pretty sharp too.
Check out the widget below for 4K Blu-ray deals on The matrix in your area.
And then head to the comments to let me know if you're okay with that. The matrix It's a happy movie, and tell me what movies you would recommend as happy, feel-good movies.
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