The Matrix (1999)

The Matrix (1999) revolutionized action cinema with its "bullet time" visual effect technique, which has been imitated in hundreds of subsequent films. Grossing $463 million worldwide on a $63 million budget, it earned 4 Academy Awards. Directed by the Wachowski siblings and starring Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne, it combines Hong Kong-style choreography with cyberpunk philosophy. The film's influence extends to a $1.6 billion trilogy.