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AlthoughInceptionwas released 11 years afterThe Matrix, both sci-fi movies are equally popular, and one fan came up with a fascinating theory that could connect the two stories. AlthoughThe Matrixhas three sequels and there is only oneInception, the two films have a lot in common. Both films had notable directors at the helm, a talented and popular cast, and brought up philosophical questions about the meaning of life.
The Matrixis not only considered one of thebest movies starring Keanu Reeves, but it set the standard for thought-provoking sci-fi movies that explore big, important themes. This fan theory aboutInceptionandThe Matrixsuggests that the two movies could be more alike than audiences previously thought.
The Fan Theory That Inception Is A Prequel To The Matrix
There is a compellingfan theory thatInceptionis a prequel toThe Matrix. Redditor @NowhereLad wrote about their theory in aReddit threadand wrote:
“Sometime after the events ofInceptionthe technology used to induce lucid dreaming could be made for recreational use to the public? They become so happy in their dream utopias then they spend most of their living lives in that state.”
The fan added:
“Eventually the human race starts to dwindle and common futuristic machinery begins to improve in intelligence. And basically running the show themselves and humans continue to dream.”
March 31st, 1999 (United States)
136 minutes
Rotten Tomatoes Rating
83%
According to this fan theory,robots ensure that humans stay in a dream state. The fan continued, “Thousands of years later people start to wake up and realize its all a dream. They begin to manipulate the dreams but when the dreamer (unkown’s) subconscious realizes who down belong and use Agents as hunters for the foreign bodies.”
Christopher Nolan
Cast Members
Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Elliot Page, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine, Tom Bergener
148 minutes
87%
SinceInceptionandThe Matrixare bothsci-fi stories about dreams and virtual reality, this theory makes sense. Both aremind-bending sci-fi moviesthat are hard to figure out, which makes them even more compelling. Even thoughThe Matrixis of course its own franchise with its own world-building, it’s still fun to think aboutInception
andThe Matrixbeing connected. If fans watchInceptionas if it’s a prequel toThe Matrix, it will make both movies even more entertaining and intriguing.
How Are Inception And The Matrix Similar?
InceptionandThe Matrixaresimilarbecause thecharacters and audiences aren’t sure what is reality and what is fake.Inception’s confusing endingis famous sinceaudiences debate whether the top stops spinning, and it’s fair to say that the conclusion ofThe Matrixleaves a lot of unanswered questions as well.
InceptionandThe Matrixalso both have main characters who are smart experts in their fields and who begin to investigate the strange world they are part of. They are rebels who like to question everything, which has allowed them to get as far as they have in life. Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Dom Cobb steals people’s secrets while they are dreaming, and he is great at this niche work. Thomas Anderson/Neo (Keanu Reeves) is a programmer who learns about “The Matrix” because he spends so much time online.
It’s interesting thatChristopher Nolan once talked aboutThe Matrixwhen giving an interview aboutInception. In 2010, Nolan toldThe Los Angeles Times:
“I think ours is of an older school, ours is more ofThe Matrixvariety and the concepts of different levels of reality."
He continued:
“The whole concept of avatars and living life as someone else, there’s a relationship to what we’re doing, but I think when I first started trying to make this film happen it was very much pulled from that era of movies where you had ‘The Matrix,’ you had ‘Dark City,’ you had ‘The Thirteenth Floor’ and, to a certain extent, you had ‘Memento’ too. They were based in the principles that the world around you might not be real.”
AlthoughThe Matrixappears to asci-fi movie set in the 23rd centuryandInceptiondoesn’t take place in the future, both movies ask interesting questions about reality, dreams, and happiness.
