the matrix

this one was a game changer. the depth of the ideas in the film along with the mind blowing visuals changed the entire history of movies. from here on out, 'the matrix' became the benchmark of films. everything before this is now outdated, and everything after it has been trying to catch up. this is at its heart an updated adaptation of alice in wonderland. as neo goes down the rabbit hole he finds a new world and discovers his place in it. the creation of 'bullet time' and the depth of its philosophy showed that there can be such a thing as a thought provoking action movie. all of this, along with style in spades, makes this a landmark film. though the story was continued in the two sequels, this one stands alone as a complete story and a look at a turn-of-the-millennium culture at its best.