Cinema In Context

Virtual reality worlds. Sarah Watt, Jeremy Downing and William Chen discuss Free Guy (2021) and The Matrix (1999). We begin by praising The Matrix, directed by Lilly and Lana Wachowski aka "The Wachowskis". We talk about various memorable shots and sequences, and drawing connections to manga, anime, Hong Kong cinema, Shrek (2001), Swordfish (2001), Jet Li's The One (2001), the work of John Woo, and Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003). We reflect upon the lobby shoot-out scene and the state of gun violence in the United States of America, particularly the Columbine High School massacre that would occur three weeks after the release of The Matrix. We look at the year 1999 and how it was a turning point year, as the film suggests, with the 9/11 attacks just around the corner, Y2K bug - with a shout out to the podcast You're Wrong About - and the rise of the internet. We make further connections to the work of Robert Rodriguez, the sequels Matrix: Reloaded and Matrix: Revolutions, and a range of work that came before and a