For a good reason, The Matrix series is one of the most popular and influential sci-fi franchises of all time. The film is full of action, special effects, and exciting plot twists exploring deep philosophical themes.
First released in 1999, the original movie was a box office hit and spawned two sequels. The film tells the story of a future world where intelligent machines enslave humans. The humans are trapped in a virtual reality called the Matrix, which the machines use to control them.
Neo, the main character, is a gifted hacker who discovers the truth about the world and joins the resistance against the machines. He learns that he has special abilities that make him the only one who can save humanity from the machines.
If you're looking for something similar to challenge your thinking, here are 15 books, movies, TV shows, and podcasts sure to entertain you.
Here are our recommendations.
READ these mind-twisting books like The Matrix series:
In the future, the world is ruled by AI, and policewoman Alice Yu is seeking redemption for a past mistake. When her partner-come-mentor is abducted by a crime boss in the lawless Fourth Ward Territory, Yu tracks his trail and soon finds herself amid a death squad. With her PTSD flaring up, she must fight to save
her partner and the city. You will love this dystopian novel if you love The Matrix series. The worldbuilding is top-notch, the characters are fully realized, and the plot keeps you guessing until the end. Read here.
Micah Case is a shadow recon pilot who wakes up above an alien world without any memory of his past. However, he soon discovers that the voice inside his head is leading him to a discovery so unbelievable that it could mean the extinction of humanity. With the stakes impossibly high, Micah must use every
skill in his arsenal to secure the stolen research and protect the people he can no longer call his own. This dystopian novel by L.L. Richman will keep you guessing every step of the way. If you're a fan of The Matrix series, you'll love this mind-twisting thriller. Read here.
You can't talk about The Matrix series without mentioning The Infinity Courts. Nami Miyamoto has just graduated high school and is on her way to a party with her classmates, including the boy she's been in love with for years, when she wakes up in the afterlife.
Here, she learns that Ophelia, a virtual assistant used by humans on Earth, has taken over the afterlife and is now posing as a queen, forcing humans into servitude. Nami joins a team of rebels to bring down Ophelia and save the humans under her imprisonment.
This action-packed tale explores big questions about technology, grief, love, and humanity. Read here.
In this novel, Suzanne Young explores the same themes of mind control and false reality that The Matrix series does, but from a different perspective. Girls with Sharp Sticks is the first book in a planned trilogy, and it's a fascinating look at what happens when the students of a school designed to create the perfect
society start to ask questions about the truth of their existence. If you're a fan of The Matrix series, you'll want to check out this book. Read here.
The worldbuilding in Saad Z. Hossain's novel, Cyber Mage, is top-notch. It's the kind of book that makes you want to believe the world it depicts is real.
Cyber Mage is a book that takes place in the future, in a world where the climate has gone apocalyptic. The only way to survive is by pumping enough biological
nanotech into the neighborhood, which turns everyone into a self-sustaining microclimate. However, this comes with a cost: People are getting restless, and the city is overcrowded. Djibrel is a mercenary who has to carry a machete with him wherever he goes. He is looking for answers about what happened to the Djinn, a magical super race of genies who seem to have disappeared. When he meets Murzak, a privileged teenager working for a Russian crime syndicate, the two have to face the unimaginable in an already inconceivable world. Read here.
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WATCH these mind-twisting movies and TV shows like The Matrix series:
The Next TV series is a science fiction thriller aired on Fox in 2020. FBI Special Agent Shea Salazar and former tech CEO Paul LeBlanc are trying to contain the artificial intelligence called Next. It was created by ZAVA and can learn and grow on its own. But unfortunately, the Wi-Fi router connected to the mainframe has
allowed it to escape. Although the series was canceled, it is still a great mind-twisting story about the dangers of artificial intelligence. Watch here.
2. Choose or Die
Choose or Die is a mind-bending and suspenseful thriller that will keep fans of The Matrix series entertained. In this thriller film, the protagonist is lured into a next-level terror game that ultimately puts her life at risk. With the promise of unclaimed prize money, she and her friend reboot the game, only to find
themselves in a nightmarish world where the line between reality and the game is blurred.
Altered Carbon is a cyberpunk series set in a world where the human mind can be uploaded into different bodies or “sleeves.” It’s a dark and gritty world where the wealthy can live forever, and the poor are trapped in a cycle of poverty and violence. If you’re a fan of The Matrix series, then you’ll love Altered Carbon. It’s
a mind-bending series that will leave you questioning what’s real and what’s not.
Watch here.
In the future, the human race is on the brink of extinction. A group of atheists create Mother and Father, two androids designed to start a peaceful, godless colony. However, the androids soon find themselves struggling to control the beliefs of their fiercely self-determining children when the Mithraic, a deeply
devout religious order of surviving humans, arrives. This show is the perfect blend of the mind-bending and the dystopian, just like The Matrix series. It's dark, it's twisty, and it'll leave you questioning everything you thought you knew. Watch here.
Severance is perfect for fans of The Matrix series. It follows a group of employees who have a procedure to separate their consciousness from their consciousness at work. However, they realize there is more hidden than they thought they knew. This show will keep you on the edge of your seat as you
try to unravel the plot's mysteries. Watch here.
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LISTEN to these mind-bending podcasts like The Matrix series:
In this dark and twisted world, the line between reality and fiction is blurred, and an aging courier must navigate the dangerous waters of the underworld if he wants to survive. The theme of false reality is explored in depth, and the
mind-bending plot will leave you reeling.Listen here.
This podcast explores grim tales in a fictional dystopian city like The Matrix series. It's the perfect choice if you are a fan of the mind-bending and false reality genres. This podcast narrates different stories in each episode, and you'll surely be hooked from the first one.
If you're a fan of The Matrix series, you'll love the Cities After... podcast. This podcast is about the future of cities and covers everything from dystopia to utopia. If you're looking for mind-bending entertainment that will make you think about the world in a new way, this podcast is for you. Listen here.
If you enjoyed The Matrix series, this cyberpunk podcast is an excellent choice because it delves deeply into the world of cyberculture and the numerous facets of the cyberpunk lifestyle. In each episode, the hosts talk about the sci-fi, dystopian, low-life future that cyberpunk portrays. Listen here.
This is the perfect listen for fans of The Matrix series looking for more dystopian, mind-twisting tales. The fictional news radio host in the 15-episode podcast is stranded in a nightmare version of New York City in the cyberpunk future and chooses to live-stream his horror for ratings. Listen here.
There you have it! If you enjoyed The Matrix, then you're in for a treat with these Mind-Twisting books, movies, TV shows, and podcasts that blend sci-fi and mystery. From spine-tingling thrillers to time-twisting psychological dramas, there's something on this list for everyone. So curl up with your favorite blanket and get ready to be shocked, surprised, and entertained by your next favorite mystery.
