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Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/film/ 25-years-later-were-all-trapped-in-the-matrix-3f3a3aea Neo (Keanu Reeves) chooses between a red pill and a blue pill, reflected in the glasses of Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne). Neo (Keanu Reeves) chooses between a red pill and a blue pill, reflected in the glasses of Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne). Warner Bros. 1. Arts & Culture ----------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Film ----------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Essay 25 Years Later, We're All Trapped in 'The Matrix' The 1999 sci-fi classic predicted a world like the one we now live in, where human beings are cut off from one another by technology. But it also reminded us that resistance is possible. By Meir Soloveichik March 22, 2024 9:00 pm ET Listen to article (2 minutes) It is a cinematic scene familiar to millions: A man named Morpheus sits across from another man named Neo and informs him that his entire notion of reality is a lie. If Neo wishes to know the truth of human existence, Morpheus says, all he has to do is choose one of two pills. "You take the blue pill--the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill...and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes." This scene is the turning point in "The Matrix," the sci-fi classic that was released 25 years ago this month. Of course, Neo chooses the red pill and learns the terrible truth that the advent of artificial intelligence allowed machines to take over the Earth. He believes it is 1999, but in fact it is 2199, and all human beings are perpetually asleep in vats, exploited by their AI masters as a source of energy. The world they think they experience is actually a virtual reality known as "The Matrix." Copyright (c)2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. 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All Rights Reserved. Copyright (c)2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.