You Never Noticed This Hilarious Moment in The Matrix (And Now You’ll Never Unsee It)

The Matrix first hit theatres in 1999, and it’s safe to say it’s been living rent-free in our minds ever since. This sci-fi action film had everything, from high stakes to dramatic acting and daring action sequences, revitalizing the genre and changing Hollywood. Fans have been enchanted by this film and the following sequels for years, and we’re still noticing details to this day. There’s few things more enjoyable than watching a beloved movie and noticing new details with fresh eyes. When sitting down to watch The Matrix though, be ready to learn about one filming detail that, once spotted, you’ll never be able to unsee.

Directed by the Wachowskis, The Matrix was a groundbreaking film, especially at the time. The star-studded cast helped raise this film to new heights, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano. One of the many reasons The Matrix was so successful is due to how the creative team paid great attention to detail, especially during the filming process. They utilized clever tricks and groundbreaking special effects to bring the story to life. Who here will ever forget Neo dodging those bullets?

A Clever Filming Trick You’ll Never Unsee

There are many memorable and remarkable moments throughout The Matrix, and most fans can probably list a dozen of their favorites. However, one very important series of events kicked off with Neo and Morpheus visiting The Oracle. As fans may recall, the scene ends with The Oracle telling Neo what he needed to hear at that moment, knowing how it’d bring him around to actual truth.

However, their conversation isn’t the moment in question, but rather the scene leading up to it. While Neo and Morpheus are heading to see The Oracle, they first stop at the threshold of her apartment. As Morpheus tells Neo, he can only show him the door, he’s the one that has to walk through it. Here, the team decided to go for a creative filming moment, with the camera focusing on the doorknob that Neo is reaching for. It’s a great shot, but in a heartbeat, this scene passes by.

However, if you stop this moment and look closer at the frames, you might notice something pretty funny. The camera is visible in this shot, thanks to the giant reflection in the doorknob. In this shot, the camera is cheekily covered with a coat and tie, which blend in almost seamlessly with Morpheus’ look. For such a quick shot, it works well to hide what’s going on. It’s only with better resolution that this scene becomes more obvious for what it is. That said, now that we’ve seen it, we’ll probably always see it.

Reflections Everywhere

The Matrix loved to use reflections to tell different stories, and thus the film is full of them. One of the more famous examples is how Neo’s choices are reflected in Morpheus’ sunglasses. There’s also the spoon scene, again reflecting Neo in all his confused glory. The camera is slightly visible in some of these shots, but the CGI used during this part makes it much harder to spot than the doorknob frames.

However, not every reflection was intentionally tucked into the film, and there are several “accidental” reflections, as with the camera above. For example, during the scene where the agents are on the rooftop, if you look closely, you can once again see the camera, this time reflected in the agent’s sunglasses.

The Matrix And Clever Filming Practices

The Matrix is beloved and famous for many reasons, especially popularizing the “bullet time” visual effect. This filming practice involves a slow-motion show, while the camera moves through the scene (at seemingly normal speeds). To get scenes right, the creative team had to well, get creative. So it’s no surprise that they quickly found a solution for the above problem–they were already primed to do so.

26 years later, The Matrix is an amazing film worth watching a hundred times over. It’s a testament to its reputation that details like this largely flew under the radar for so long, showcasing how wrapped up we all were in the story nad the world. It also drives home that there are many more details to pick up on, many of which were intentionally placed in the scene. Did you know that the book Neo stores his black market software is a copy of Simulation and Simulacra by Jean Baudrillard? They doubled down on that reference, with the specific page opening up to the chapter “On Nihilism.”

What are some of your favorite observations from The Matrix or its sequels? We want to hear them all!

The Matrix is available to stream on Peacock.

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