NEO STOPS THE BULLETS

CHRIS EVANS on THE MATRIX

I moved to Los Angeles in the spring of 1999. The first film I saw in theatres there was The Matrix, and to this day I can’t recall a more thrilling movie-going experience. Not only were the special effects and fight sequences like nothing I (or anyone else) had ever seen, but the first act of the story is so shrouded in mystery, it created a unique bond among the audience. We were on a shared adventure, collectively trying to put the pieces together.

You could feel the excitement in the theatre grow as we began to understand where the story was taking us. Every action sequence outdid the one before. There was a sense that you were witnessing a turning point in how these types of films could be made.

By the final scene, when Neo stops the bullets with his hand before launching himself head-first into Agent Smith, everyone in the theatre was on their feet cheering and clapping. As I walked out of the theatre, I saw complete strangers laughing together in disbelief at what we had all just seen. It was one of the most unifying audience experiences I’ve ever had, and remains one of my favourite movie memories.