The Matrix

(Warners)

This feverish sci-fi thriller from Larry and Andy Wachowski combusts on the idea that mankind's perceived reality is actually a virtual veil controlled by a higher, undetected dark force. Enter (through a creepy, digital Caesarean) computer nerd Neo (Keanu Reeves) to join Laurence Fishburne's charismatic Morpheus resistance movement, master "the matrix," and free man's mind. Good performances, but the real stars here are the Wachowski brothers and their slick, gothic future world, where you can become an instant martial-arts expert simply by downloading a program to your cerebral cortex.