The Matrix virtually defies description. As one of the characters says, "Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself." The movie's closest antecedents are the wildly fantastic films of Hong Kong directors Tsui Hark and Ronnie Yu, movies such as Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain and The Bride With White Hair. That means The Matrix is filled with astonishing visuals unlike anything you've ever seen before in an American film.