Have you ever had a déjà vu or seen an uncanny synchronicity and thought, “What if The Matrix is for real? What if this whole world is just a computer simulation?” If so, then you are not alone. There are many believers in the Simulation Theory, including Elon Musk, who is known because of his controversial innovations. This sounds like esoteric stuff, but the inquisitive new documentary A Glitch In The Matrix explains it all with verve and gusto.
Rodney Ascher’s background on conspiracy theories can be traced back to Room 237 and The Nightmare. The first of them was an intense analysis of Stanley Kubrick’s film The Shining through fan theories that told us something else about the movie which scared me shitless. For instance, it suggested that what seemed to be a terrifying movie was actually Kubrick’s veiled apology for his real intention to stage a fake moon landing. On the other hand, the latter film focused on sleep paralysis by highlighting its links with tales from different cultures worldwide as well as cases related to demonic possession and alien abduction films. This theory is rooted in Ancient Greece philosophy such as Aristotle and Plato onward through Christian theology to prophetic science-fiction writer Philip K. Dick and into mainstream consciousness via Wachowski Sisters’ 1999 epic, The Matrix.
Through interviews with talking heads – individuals offering their opinions or experiences – Ascher allows some believers to tell of their first experience watching The Matrix or coming across ideas about reality that defied common belief.They don’t have a clear idea of why they believe what they do; nevertheless; this doesn’t mean -yeah-Ascher supplies his interviewees with robust interview subjects whose faces are replaced by computer graphics. Their human beings dominated by glossy CGI morphing bright wolves into glittery monsters and fat robots among others shedding off their physical features . Then these remembrances enact with video game-like figures meant to suggest that also this world could just be a compilation of code and pixels.
Additionally, the film is flooded with clips from numerous TV shows, video games, and movies that are remotely related to this conversation in order to give it more dazzle and street cred. This is illustrated by showing Rick and Morty’s episode titled “M. Night Shaym-Aliens!” which talks about how such simulations might prioritize processing power; the World of Warcraft footage talking about some only being NPCs (Non-Player Characters). As well as The Matrix, snippets are taken from Star Wars, Defending Your Life, Minecraft, Avatar, Batman Forever, Total Recall even Horton Hears A Who? While flicking through them all you can play a fun game of call out the clip.As regards whether this method of constant references actually strengthens or weakens the argument for Simulation Theory seems unclear. On one hand, it could be said that because there are these many multimedia representations of these ideas that something is going on here. Alternatively, given life in its totality may seem so overwhelming for people searching outside themselves to whatever answer gives them an escape hatch.
Ascher explores this latter issue by weaving a dark thread around Joshua Cooke and The Matrix Defense, which was used after a gruesome crime. This disgusting story makes us ask: What if nothing in the world is real? What if we don’t see people as “real” but just NPC’s with no inner life or grand purpose? These are only some of many questions A Glitch In The Matrix raises, and Ascher does not seem interested in answering them. Probably that is why documentary excludes Lana and Lilly Wachowski from interviews even though it cites their works heavily. Perhaps that explains why his Simulation Theory believers are nameless. They talk about their jobs and religious background. However, there is racism involved (like race, age, and gender) which can not be seen instead leaving us to think how these things affect their lives, thoughts while revealing nothing else about them at all. So we still have questions.
Verdict
A Glitch In The Matrix is Room 237 meets The Nightmare’s younger brother. Again Ascher creates an empathetic space for conspiracy theorists and dreamers that make it a perfect environment for honesty, earnestness and vulnerability. He demonstrates their arguments using popular culture references with panache through sharp editing techniques. Nonetheless he leaves room for doubts, where one is allowed to question safely. His documentaries are provocative; however Ascher doesn’t come across as a soulless marketer peddling hot takes for clicks. Deliberately examining conspiracy theories, nightmares, memories or possibilities in his films to unravel the human imagination’s intriguing passages into our reality. Which means that whether you choose the red pill or the blue pill does not make A Glitch In The Matrix successful. The success is simply enabling one get into the room to decide at all!
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