A Glitch in the Matrix

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A Glitch in the Matrix

2021

1h 48m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

66%

Tomatometer

104 Reviews

25%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

What if we are living in a simulation, and the world as we know it is not real? To tackle this mind-bending idea, acclaimed filmmaker Rodney Ascher (ROOM 237, THE NIGHTMARE) uses a noted speech from Philip K. Dick to dive down the rabbit hole of science, philosophy, and conspiracy theory. Leaving no stone unturned in exploring the unprovable, the film uses contemporary cultural touchstones like THE MATRIX, interviews with real people shrouded in digital avatars, and a wide array of voices, expert and amateur alike. If simulation theory is not science fiction but fact, and life is a video game being played by some unknowable entity, then who are we, really? A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX attempts to find out.

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Critics Consensus

Although occasionally muddled, A Glitch in the Matrix is a thought-provoking portrait of digital culture and its relationship to reality.

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Adam Graham

Detroit News

02/11/2021

C-

It's an obvious conclusion that any rational person should have already come to on their own.

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Mark Feeney

Boston Globe

02/06/2021

The result is lively, playful, and busy - in a very good way.

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Bilge Ebiri

New York Magazine/Vulture

02/06/2021

A Glitch in the Matrix becomes not about whether we're living in a simulation but about the many understandable reasons someone may think this. In effect, it winds up being about the mysteries of the human experience.

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Greg Carlson

Vague Visages

07/28/2023

Offering some tantalizing commentary on the erotic...

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Cody Dericks

Next Best Picture

07/11/2022

1/10

"A Glitch in the Matrix" is less of a documentary and more of an accidental exploration of unchecked narcissism.

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Christopher Cross

Tilt Magazine

04/10/2022

3.5/5

Often frustrating and uncomfortable, A Glitch in the Matrix demands reading between the lines to find the source of obsession in a theory so easy to either believe or ignore.

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Mitchell A

@RT36620700 03/29/2025

The absolute worst “documentary” I’ve ever sat through. So bad i created a rotten tomatoes account just to drag it. Just a bunch of autistic people rambling about video games and the matrix.

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Tim K

@RT47974030 03/07/2025

It felt like I was watching interviews of people suffering from schizophrenia, not a good movie to watch.

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Jeffrey P

@vanillavoodoo1 08/25/2024

This review that won't post is a glitch in the matrix.

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brad p

@Bradster69 02/22/2023

If Room 237 shows obsessed fans with crazed theories about The Shining, then A Glitch in the Matrix highlights the passion of keyboard intellectuals trying to prove we're living in a simulation. They might not be more convincing, but they're a lot smarter.

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Georgan G

@RT98616417 01/28/2023

In spite of wondrous ideas about reality and (too) much animation about those ideas, this film gets muddled. Some of the presenters are clear & concise while others are pretty strange & confusing.

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j t

@bluecat 04/22/2022

Kind of starts out ok, but then ends up just being about movies and video games. I wouldn't waste your time on this.

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Rodney Ascher

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Self

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Self

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Self

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A Glitch in the Matrix: Trailer 2

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A Glitch in the Matrix: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

What if we are living in a simulation, and the world as we know it is not real? To tackle this mind-bending idea, acclaimed filmmaker Rodney Ascher (ROOM 237, THE NIGHTMARE) uses a noted speech from Philip K. Dick to dive down the rabbit hole of science, philosophy, and conspiracy theory. Leaving no stone unturned in exploring the unprovable, the film uses contemporary cultural touchstones like THE MATRIX, interviews with real people shrouded in digital avatars, and a wide array of voices, expert and amateur alike. If simulation theory is not science fiction but fact, and life is a video game being played by some unknowable entity, then who are we, really? A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX attempts to find out.

Director: Rodney Ascher
Producer: Ross M. Dinerstein
Screenwriter: Rodney Ascher
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Campfire, Valparaiso Pictures
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 5, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 5, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.7K
Runtime: 1h 48m