Two decades after The Matrix came out, we’re still asking: ‘Is this really happening?’ | Brian Raftery

The Wachowskis' 1999 film anticipated - and changed - the contemporary world that we're trapped in today

It was early 1999, and people were freaking out about the future. A new millennium was on the way, carrying with it the promise - or threat - of massive change. Would the next century guide us toward a tech-enabled utopia? Or, as some feared, would it plunge the world into a full-on apocalypse?

These were strange days, marked by equal parts anxiety and anticipation. Which made it the perfect moment for a sleek, cerebral movie called The Matrix.

Brian Raftery is the author of Best. Movie. Year. Ever: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen, and the host of the podcast Gene & Roger