Since its debut in 1999, the Matrix franchise has captivated fans, much like the machines do to humans in the movies. But the difference is, we thoroughly enjoy getting lost in this fictional sci-fi world. By perfectly balancing elements of action, philosophy, and religion, the Wachowskis have managed to enthrall fans with every new release from the franchise for over two decades.
The three feature-length films alone grossed over $1.6 billion at the box office worldwide. After the release of the third movie, Matrix Revolutions, in 2003, there have been several additional short films with varying timelines to further add to the story. And fans eagerly await the release of an additional sequel, The Matrix 4, in Dec 2021.
Fortunately for die-hard Matrix fans and newbies to the franchise, the abundance of on-demand streaming services means you no longer have to wait for these movies to air on cable. The best part? You can watch all three of the Matrix movies on HBO Max and explore the service even more with our full review.
What services offer The Matrix?
You can watch the Matrix movies online with streaming-giant HBO Max, including The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, and The Matrix Revolutions. The Matrix titles are available by default with your HBO Max subscriptions so you won’t have to pay any extra fees to enjoy them. If you don’t want to commit to a subscription just yet, you can also rent the Matrix movies on Amazon Prime Video starting at $3.99.
| HBO Max | |
| Base Price per month | $9.99/mo. (Ad-supported), $14.99/mo. (Ad-free) |
| Free Trial | N/A |
| # of Titles | 10,000 hours of streaming content |
Our recommendation
At either $9.99/mo. or $14.99/mo, not only is HBO Max the cheapest option to watch the Matrix trilogy, but this streaming giant also offers you access to all of HBO’s and HBO Max’s exclusive and original content. With an HBO Max account, not only will you get Animatrix too, but you’ll also have access to other sci-fi thrillers such as Prometheus, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Independence Day.
Renting vs. buying The Matrix movies
Although there are currently only three streaming providers that let you watch all three Matrix movies, your options don’t end there. There are several ways to buy or rent every Matrix movie, including the Animatrix short films.
While an Amazon Prime Video subscription doesn’t come with free access to the Matrix movies, you can rent or buy them through the service. Other popular buying and rental options include Apple iTunes, FandangoNOW, Google Play, and VUDU. These platforms even have all nine short films from the Animatrix collection, so you can get your much-needed Matrix fix.
Renting
When you rent Matrix movies online, you typically have 30 days to start watching them. Once you start watching, you have 48 hours to finish. Rental fees for the trilogy start at $3.99 per title, regardless of whether you stream in standard definition (SD), high definition (HD) or 4K ultra high definition (UHD). However, not every platform has 4K streaming. For instance, you only get HD streams for the Matrix movies on Amazon Prime Video.
The Animatrix animated short film collection costs a bit less to rent, with fees starting at $1.99. The actual rate may vary depending on where you rent it. Note that you won’t get 4K streams for this collection, regardless of the platform you use. With the low price point, renting is a great option for newbies to the franchise who want to check out all the Matrix movies before getting too invested. But for avid fans who regularly rewatch the films, the time restrictions that come with renting might pose a problem.
Buying
Alternately, you also have the option to buy all the Matrix movies through these platforms, with rates starting from $9.99 per title. Prices may vary by platform, so it helps if you shop around to find the best deals. On platforms like the Google Play Store, you can even get the trilogy and Animatrix for $22.99.
Buying is a perfect choice for die-hard fans, as it gives you the freedom to rewatch any of the movies at any time without 48-hour or 30-day restrictions.
How to stream The Matrix movies in order
While the Matrix movies originally came out in chronological order, some of the animated short films and video games that came later explore the world at a different time period. This can get a little confusing, especially for those new to the franchise. So here’s a breakdown of the order in which you should stream the Matrix movies:
The Animatrix: The Second Renaissance, Part I and II (June 2003)
Taking place in the mid-21st century, these two short films explore how the relationship between machines and humans gradually deteriorated, eventually leading to a war. They focus on the events of the war and how the machines came up with the Matrix to keep human prisoners sedated.
Available on: Amazon Prime Video, Apple iTunes, FandangoNOW, Google Play, VUDU
The Animatrix: A Detective Story (June 2003)
This follows the story of a down-on-his-luck private detective named Ash and his investigation into a hacker who goes by the alias Trinity.
Available on: Amazon Prime Video, Apple iTunes, FandangoNOW, Google Play, VUDU
The Matrix (March 1999)
The movie that started it all, The Matrix takes place in a simulated version of 1999, although, in reality, it’s the 22nd century. It follows the story of Neo and how Morpheus and Trinity help him break free from the illusion created by the Matrix.
Available on: Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Apple iTunes, FandangoNOW, Google Play, VUDU
The Animatrix: Kid’s Story (June 2003)
Set in the period between The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded, this movie focuses on the story of a blue-pilled teen named Kid, who senses something wrong with the world. It follows his escape from the simulation after a conversation with Neo.
Available on: Amazon Prime Video, Apple iTunes, FandangoNOW, Google Play, VUDU
The Animatrix: Final Flight of the Osiris (June 2003)
A direct prequel to The Matrix Reloaded and the video game Enter the Matrix, this movie focuses on the events that take place on the ship Osiris. It follows Captain Thadeus and Jue as they attempt to warn Zion about an impending attack by the machines while evading capture at the same time.
Available on: Amazon Prime Video, Apple iTunes, FandangoNOW, Google Play, VUDU
The Matrix Reloaded (May 2003)
Taking place six months after The Matrix, this movie follows the original characters as they attempt to foil the attack on Zion. It shows the city’s preparation for the war as Morpheus, Neo and Trinity go in search of the Keymaker so they can reach the Source of the Matrix.
Available on: Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Apple iTunes, FandangoNOW, Google Play, VUDU
The Matrix Revolutions (November 2003)
Set almost immediately after Reloaded, Revolutions continues to follow the attack on Zion. This time, the story focuses on Neo’s attempts to foil the plans of rogue agent Smith to destroy both the Matrix and the real world.
Available on: Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Apple iTunes, FandangoNOW, Google Play, VUDU
The Animatrix: Beyond (June 2003)
Beyond follows the story of a teenager named Yoko, who encounters glitches in the Matrix while searching for her lost cat. This short takes place sometime after the events of the three feature films.
Available on: Amazon Prime Video, Apple iTunes, FandangoNOW, Google Play, VUDU
The Animatrix: World Record
This short follows the story of a track athlete named Dan Davis and his accidental escape from the Matrix. Although it’s hard to discern an exact timeline for this film, the Instructor from The Second Renaissance narrates the story, linking it to a familiar character.
Available on: Amazon Prime Video, Apple iTunes, FandangoNOW, Google Play, VUDU
The Animatrix: Matriculated
Matriculated tells the story of a group of human rebels who capture hostile machines and put them into a matrix they designed themselves. Here, they attempt to teach the machines some positive human traits such as compassion and empathy. Like with World Record, there aren’t any discernible events linking the story to a specific timeline.
Available on: Amazon Prime Video, Apple iTunes, FandangoNOW, Google Play, VUDU
The Animatrix: Program
This short tells the story of a protagonist named Cis, who duels with her crew member, Duo, inside a battle simulation set in feudal Japan. Again, there aren’t any clear hints about the timeline of this story, just like Matriculated and World Record.
Available on: Amazon Prime Video, Apple iTunes, FandangoNOW, Google Play, VUDU
While you can watch the trilogy movies first and follow up with the Animatrix shorts, the chronological viewing order highlighted above makes it easier to follow the story. But don’t worry about following a specific order for the last three shorts, as they don’t seem to be set in a specific place in time.
The final cut
While you can watch all the Matrix movies through several streaming providers, keep in mind that services frequently update their content line-up. So make sure you start streaming them as soon as possible before the trilogy leaves these streaming services. While HBO Max does not include a free trial, it is our top recommendation as it offers the most amount of premium content, including the Animatrix series.
If you’re interested in the Animatrix collection, you can either rent or buy it from platforms such as Amazon Prime Video for a low price.