Continuing the long tradition of The Matrix movies inspiring more questions than answers, The Matrix: Resurrections concludes with many aspects left up in the air. The fourth installment in the franchise, which follows Thomas Anderson as he tries to reawaken from the Matrix simulation and reunite with Trinity, doesn't shy away from presenting philosophical puzzles even as it creates more plotholes.
Questions pertaining to the timeline set in both the simulation and the real world, the parameters of programs, and even the purpose of certain characters continue even as the canonical lore deepens, and legacy characters join new allies against mercurial enemies.
How Does Anyone Jack In And Out Of The Matrix?
Jacking in and out of the Matrix was always a titanic moment of anxiety and chaos in the original trilogy. In this movie, it's not even touched on in favor of a passing mention that mirrors now function as the way for humans and programs to get in and out of the Matrix.
This would hold if some characters didn't simply vanish from scenes without having to find a portal. While it's true, phonebooths are increasingly hard to come by these days, a little more explanation about the literal "ins and outs" of the new Matrix would go a long way to helping fans understand what they're looking at. In one particular scene, all Trinity has to do is say, "Bye" and fly into the air and out of frame, before waking up on the deck of the Mnemosyne.
How Long Does This Version Of The Matrix Last?
The sixth iteration of the Matrix that Neo helped end by sacrificing himself to the Source was set in 1999, while the real world year was closer to 2199 according to the timeline. It was selected by The Architect to represent the peak of human accomplishment, prior to the Machine War, but just before huge advancements in AI. It was reset every 10-100 years, depending on The Architect's parameters, The One's appearance, and when Zion populated enough rebels to pose a threat to Machine energy absorption.
It's been 20 years since Neo ended that version of the Matrix, giving way to the seventh iteration, in which The Architect and The Oracle elected to work together to offer humans the choice to reject the Matrix or not on a less "unconscious level". Does that mean time passes differently in the Matrix now? When does it reset?
What Purpose Does Morpheus Serve?
Nostalgia aside, having Morpheus as a program that combines the characteristics of Smith and Morpheus because they were important figures in Neo's life doesn't seem to serve the same function the character did in previous movies. Whereas before he was a mentor, responsible for guiding the Neo character with exposition and stewardship, is he now simply there to represent programs being present in the real world?
It's stated Thomas Anderson created the code for this Morpheus while working on The Matrix gaming trilogy, but it's difficult to see the function the Morpheus character serves in the screenplay, except to possibly jog his memory of being freed from the actual Matrix. As someone fans were most excited to see in the reboot, his storyline deserved more relevancy.
How Does Swarm Mode Work?
During the final fight between Neo, Trinity, and The Analyst, the latter activates "Swarm Mode", effectively turning every single person in San Francisco's financial district into a digital zombie. They flock to the heroes in hordes, while several hundred hurl themselves out of skyscrapers to try to land on Trinity's motorcycle.
Are these programs being taken over, like the Smith virus, or are these people? Whether they're people or programs, they're shown to be living lives of their own until they're "activated" by The Analyst. When they plunge to their deaths, their bodies burst into code. Does he have to perform a massive memory wipe? Do they have any faint memories of the terrifying event, or do they think it was all a dream?
How Are Programs Awakened?
In the film, Bugs gives Morpheus --an amalgamated program containing both Smith and Morpheus protocols-- a red pill, effectively allowing a program the opportunity to "wake up". How is this possible? An explanation is given for how he can take semi-corporeal form in the real world, but not how he can become aware that he's living in a construct.
Morpheus lived in a modal created by Thomas Anderson for the Matrix video game, itself a construct in the Matrix simulation. It's never made clear that he was ever tied to the Machines at all, so why does he undergo the same process Anderson did in the first movie to become aware of the real world? Does he then simply exist as an exiled program, much like previous iterations of Smith or the Merovingian?
Why Are The Stakes So Low?
Much like the Neo from the former iteration of the Matrix who, in every previous version, became "The One", confronted The Architect, and attempted to tear down the system, this Neo seems to have a primary function --designed by The Analyst-- that must be put in place for this new Matrix to exist -- find Trinity.
The Analyst explains that keeping Neo and Trinity apart "just enough" (because humans thrive best on "suffering and fear") means a much higher energy output being generated from the source code of two powerful anomalous figures, which is a fine explanation, but it makes Neo's desire to save Trinity feel like much smaller stakes when compared to being the protagonist who saves humanity from a digital reality. Why was this the engine driving the plot when it had the potential to be more significant?
What Happened To The Oracle?
When General Niobe and Neo are reunited, she shares what happened to Zion, the fate of several Machine cities, and certain primary characters like Morpheus and The Oracle. The Oracle simply "disappeared" after relaying important intelligence about Machines turning against Machines over resources, leaving it open-ended about her fate.
The Oracle has always played a very important part in the franchise because of her insight into human behavior, something which The Architect, the Smith program, and The Analyst don't seem to understand. Was she purged? Did she simply go into hiding? Don't the Machines need a program that understands human behavior?
What Happened To Agent Smith?
The Smith program returned, albeit in a different iteration, to once again dog Neo's every step and prevent him from realizing the truth about the Matrix. Controlled by The Analyst, he wasn't purged at the Source because of his importance to The One's journey, and was necessary to keep an eye on Thomas Anderson by presenting himself as the head of the company he designed the Matrix video game for.
Smith and Neo have an unlikely alliance of sorts towards the end of the movie, which leaves Smith's fate very unclear. Now that Neo is at the height of his full powers again, where did the Smith program go? As one of the best villains in the Matrix franchise, it's unlikely fans have seen the last of him.
Will Humans Befriend More Machines?
In a new addition to canon lore, some machines were shown to defect and join the humans, helping out in the laboratories in Io to help grow real food, like strawberries. No more "is it chicken, Tasty Wheat, or mush?" sludge for anyone in the real world.
Will humans in the real world continue to befriend more machines? Will they work together, as they did in the movie, to locate pods and free blue pills who choose to reject the Matrix? And why do some of the machines make beeps and chirps like droids from Star Wars when they're perfectly capable of speech?
What Happens Now?
By the end of the movie, Trinity and Neo are at the height of their full powers again, but everything remains very much the same as it was at the end of the first movie. They're capable of swatting The Analyst like an annoying insect if he gets in their way, but the people in the Matrix are still blissfully unaware that the machines are using their bodies like batteries.
Without Neo and Trinity's source codes, there might be some instability within the Matrix as it is, and the Machines might want to get them back. It seems like Neo and Trinity are rejecting the Analyst's assertions that all humans want to be controlled, by vowing to show them what they're capable of with their newfound freedom. But will that actually manifest into any change, either in the real world or the Matrix?