The Matrix (1999)

  There was a minor interruption in services here because of a family emergency and then my Internet was out.  Time is fake and nothing matters.  There is only snow. 

A programmer who moonlights as a hacker for hire named Neo (Keanu Reeves) is recruited by a shadowy group only to learn that his world doesn't actually exist.  It's a fantasy projected by machines that have taken over the earth and use human beings as living batteries.  Having been woken from the collective dream, Neo struggles to understand his place in this dystopian resistance.

It is hard to overestimate what an impact this had on pop culture in 1999.  I just watched it with some friends who had never seen the whole thing before and it was great to be able to see pieces click into place for them.  It still holds up really well, although some of the effects look dated.  This was such an innovative film, though, you can't even be mad about it.  It literally created new camera rigs to pull off some of the effects.  The sequels shouldn't exist because they are shameless cash grabs but you can never say The Matrix isn't a stone-cold classic sci-fi movie.

Because we also live in a dystopian hellscape, it's only available for streaming through the MGM+ app but you should really just buy it.