12 Best 1990s Sci-Fi Movies
2. The Matrix
The Matrix is perhaps the single most influential movie that arrived at the turn of the millennium, for better or worse. It seemed as though almost as soon as Neo had arrived on our screens, you couldn't turn around without finding an action hero wearing sunglasses and leather or using fu or either the kung or gun variety.
The back-to-back sequels may have creaked under the weight of their own self-indulgence, but the first installment showed enough innovation, inventiveness and stylish cinematography to give the franchise a free pass for life.
It's often easy to forget just how revolutionary The Matrix was, given that the signature moments were mercilessly parodied and beaten into the ground in everything from Shrek to Scary Movie. As smart as it was ambitious, the Wachowskis pioneered several techniques that would soon become the standard for early-2000s action cinema, spawning a thousand pale imitations in the process.