Similar to my The Three ‘Kinds of Kindness’ breakdown, I’ll focus on what interests me most about Megalopolis; it is the undeniable fourth movie in a franchise that starts with 1927’s landmark science fiction epic, Metropolis. The artistic DNA that began there is passed down to the twins, Dark City (1998)—aka the cerebral Matrix—and The Matrix (1999)—aka the techno Dark City. All of which led to this new scion of the family.

Proof: Metropolis, Dark City, The Matrix, and Megalopolis are cyberpunk chronicles linked by their dystopian themes, manipulation of reality, rebellions, chosen ones, and questioning the ethics of technology—all conveyed through game-changing urban visuals and symbolic imagery.