The Matrix 4 should be a horror movie. Each film in the franchise already has the makings of great horror movies. Not to mention, the general rules of the horror genre could easily undo the seemingly concrete ending laid out for the franchise in The Matrix Revolutions.
The series tells the story of Neo, Morpheus and Trinity and their fight against the computer world that keeps humans sedated by sentient robots. The Matrix is a virtual reality where anyone can create anything — no matter how nefarious it is. The third film ends with Trinity and Neo successfully destroying the Matrix, but sacrificing themselves in the process.
With an ending like that, it was quite the surprise to learn that The Matrix 4 was forthcoming, along with stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss somehow reviving their roles as Neo and Trinity, respectively. Transitioning The Matrix 4 into the horror genre could easily unwrite The Matrix Revolutions' ending, along with saving the franchise from reboot fatigue.
The Matrix 4 Should Be a Horror Movie
By reviving a franchise that came to a conclusive ending, director Lana Wachowski is entering tricky territory. It's still unclear if the next installation of the franchise is a traditional reboot or a sequel to The Matrix Revolutions. Audiences have been plastered with reboots for the last few years, which is sometimes met with resentment. One way Wachowski can save her beloved sci-fi series from that is by leaning fully into The Matrix's horror tendencies.
Any self-aware in the Matrix can conjure up anything they'd like with their imaginations. That means people cannot trust what they're actually seeing in front of them. Mind games like this are at the core of many psychological horror films. Previous films in The Matrix franchise have seen the villainous Agent Smith replicate himself over and over again so that all copies of himself could hunt down Neo. The Matrix 4 has the opportunity to bump up the stakes. The opportunities for monsters and atrocities that could appear within the Matrix are endless.
Some theories have been floating around that Neo somehow returns to the film in a mentor style, similar to Laurence Fishburne's Morpheus in the original trilogy — maybe, somehow even mentoring a young Morpheus. If that's the case, the roles may be switched, but the story is still the same. Bringing a little horror into The Matrix 4 can save the new film from being a stale retelling of the original franchise.
