The Wachowskis "The Matrix", a science fiction action film, in 1999. The movie stars Keanu Reeves as Neo, a hacker recruited by a rebellion to aid them in the fight against machines who have taken over the world and placed humanity inside a simulated reality called "the Matrix". Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving and Joe Pantoliano also star. The movie was a critical and commercial hit for Warner Bros. It won four Academy Awards, including for "Best Visual Effects" for popularizing the bullet time visual effect. "The Matrix" came to be a major influence for action movies and has appeared in
Keanu Reeves garnered good reviews. The 1999 science fiction-action hit "The Matrix", a film in which Reeves had a starring role, was a box office success and attracted positive reviews. In between the first "Matrix" film and its sequels, Reeves received positive reviews for his portrayal of an abusive husband in "The Gift". Aside from "The Gift", Reeves appeared in several films that received mostly negative reviews and unimpressive box office grosses, including "The Watcher", "Sweet November", and "The Replacements". However, the two "Matrix" sequels, "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions", along with "Something's Gotta Give" and the 2005 horror-action film,