How come The Matrix streams with a green tint on Netflix, and where can fans watch the original version? Due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, thousands are stuck in their homes and making full use of their Netflix subscriptions. Fortunately, there's plenty of new content to explore, and not all of it involves eccentric zookeepers. Now streaming on the platform is The Matrix trilogy, giving customers a chance to revisit the Wachowskis' new millennium philosophical action masterpiece (and its 2 sequels). This addition is perfectly timed too, as The Matrix 4 is finally underway with Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss heading up the cast nearly 20 years after the last effort was released.
However, Netflix users have been quick to notice that the platform's version of the first Matrix movie (1999) looks far greener than it did in cinemas back in the day. Whenever Neo and the gang find themselves in the virtual world of the Matrix, the color grading of the image adopts a green tint, and this might be particularly jarring for those who are only familiar with either the original edit or one of the 2018 UHD release. But this is not an issue exclusive to Netflix - the nauseated Matrix is actually a long-standing problem for fans of the series.
In both The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, scenes set within the Matrix itself are given a greener hue to further signify the difference between the real and virtual worlds. This was a creative decision from the Wachowskis and can also be seen in the trilogy's marketing. Where the sequel posters are smothered in The Matrix's trademark code green color, the original poster utilized an urban grayish blue palette. The director siblings and The Matrix trilogy's director of photography, Bill Pope, have previously discussed the choice, revealing that the green was designed to make viewers feel uneasier than during the bluish "real world" scenes, while also evoking a sense of the digital. However, when the first Matrix movie was re-released on Blu-ray in 2008, the film was remastered in order to bring it visually in-line with the rest of the trilogy. This means that the green tint is far more aggressive than it was in 1999's theatrical release, and this remaster is the version Netflix are currently streaming.
Because the recolored Matrix caused somewhat of a backlash when fans realized the film they originally saw in theaters had been doctored, efforts were made to undo the green tint for the 2018 4K UHD release. Under the direction of Pope, a more authentic color grading was restored, and while there remains a visual distinction between Matrix and real-world scenes, the difference is far more subtle. It remains to be seen as to whether Netflix will one day stream the same version.
The Matrix is certainly not the first franchise to upset fans by meddling with a theatrical cut - George Lucas has made a career out of it. However, the greener Matrix does have its fans. Many agree with the Wachowskis' argument that the recolor adds another layer of symbolism to being inside the Matrix, and suggested the remastered gradient could've been an improvement, if only it were toned down a shade. Now The Matrix is streaming on Netflix, the green edit will be available more widely, and it'll be fascinating to see how opinion on the altered tint changes.
