The Matrix, 1999

The Matrix, the Wachowskis’ crown jewel, is a cultural touchstone in the science fiction genre. The opening sequence in which Keanu Reeves’ Neo chooses to question his reality and awaken from a simulation could be its own short film with plenty of symbolism and allegory to dissect and project onto. But the film continues to expand upon the ideas of liberation and ushering in a new era for humanity after it’s reckoned with its hero’s self-concept and society’s contentment to conform comfortably. The Matrix is the origin point of memetic concepts like choosing between two colored pills, action scenes like Neo leaning back to dodge bullets in slow motion that would go on to be referenced and parodied across media in the decades that followed. It is embedded in the culture of film, but also in the science fiction genre in a way few works can claim. — Kenneth Shepard