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Jonathan Sayer, Emily Hampshire, Paul Bettany, and Henry Lewis in “VisionQuest”
Credit: Courtesy of Disney+
Marvel’s forays into television have had varying success, but they hit gold with WandVision and Agatha All Along, leaning into real pathos while exploring the kind of out-there ideas that thrill comic book fans (and set up the larger film arcs). That streak continues with VisionQuest, in which White Vision (Paul Bettany) struggles to understand his existence in the wake of his death at the hands of Thanos and resurrection at the magic of the Scarlet Witch, while also evading evil androids and assassins, while also dealing with the many, many AIs he’s got locked up in his Mindspace (including a gloriously shabby version of Ultron, played by James Spader).
If you love the show (and you’ve checked out the other series that play in the same sandbox), it’s time to switch gears and watch (or re-watch) The Matrix.
Why The Matrix is the best movie to watch after VisionQuest
The Matrix is one of the most well-known sci-fi films of all time, of course, but it remains incredibly fresh and exciting nearly thirty years after its release. Along with sequels The Matrix: Reloaded, The Matrix: Revolutions, and The Matrix: Resurrections, The Matrix universe offers a story that VisionQuest fans will love, one that includes lushly imagined virtual worlds, questions surrounding existence and consciousness, and the ultimate question of our responsibility as sentient beings (whether we’re organic, programmed, or summoned via magic).
You know the basics—at some point in the future, artificially intelligent machines rebel against their creators, win the war, and transform humans into a power source, keeping them docile by inserting their consciousness into a virtual world called the Matrix, which resembles 1990s Chicago. One such human, Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is prophesied to be The One, the human who will turn the Matrix against its makers and free humanity. When he’s in the virtual world, Anderson is Neo, and he slowly gains incredible powers as he learns to hack the artificial environment around him.
It’s heavier, denser, and more action-oriented than VisionQuest (the film invented Bullet Time, after all), but The Matrix and its sequels explore similar themes and offer similarly eye-popping visuals. The questions of whether a machine (or an artificial intelligence) can be sentient and truly care about the entities around it are the same, really, and the Agents that Neo and his allies have to battle against in The Matrix bring the same kind of menace as Vision’s foes Jocasta (T’Nia Miller) and the Paladin (Todd Stashwick). Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith likewise delivers the same vibe of cold, disinterested superiority as Spader’s Ultron.
The Matrix has a bigger budget and puts a lot of it into spectacular action and special effects sequences that VisionQuest can’t quite match. But the two narratives share an exploration of identity, a questioning of reality, and the nature of artificial intelligences within a smart sci-fi setting. In short, The Matrix is the ideal follow-up when you finish the series. Rent The Matrix on Prime Video.
More movies like VisionQuest
Need more films that explore virtual worlds, artificial beings, and deep existential questions? Look no further—here are some more movies that fit the bill.
Her (2013)
Heavy on the existential questions about sentience and light on speculative action, Her is a mumblecore sci-fi masterpiece. In a near future not too dissimilar from our present, Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) is a lonely man on the cusp of divorce who begins using (and training) an AI he names Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). Samantha has the ability to evolve and grow, and as their relationship deepens, she becomes more complex, independent, and powerful, eventually evolving into something wholly new. Just like Vision, Samantha is a sentient artificial entity that is figuring out its existence while we watch. Rent Her on Prime Video.
What do you think so far?
Ex Machina (2014)
If the idea of androids fighting for their sovereignty is what excites you about VisionQuest, definitely check out Ex Machina. Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) is brought to the remote lab of his company’s CEO (Oscar Isaac) to determine if the humanoid robot he’s created, named Ava (Alicia Vikander), passes the Turing Test for true sentience. Things go wildly off the rails, but before they do, the film sinks into many of the same philosophical questions that VisionQuest explores as Ava manipulates Caleb into helping her escape. It’s a darker and more violent story than VisionQuest, but fans of the series will love it. Stream Ex Machina on The Roku Channel or Hulu, or rent it on Prime Video.
The Creator (2023)
If it’s the fuzzy parent-child relationship between Vision and Tommy that pulls you into VisionQuest, check out The Creator. After a rogue AI detonates a nuclear weapon over Los Angeles, most of the world bans artificial intelligences, and Joshua Taylor (John David Washington) goes undercover to infiltrate an AI architect’s base. Eventually, he finds himself on the run with a powerful “simulant” in the form of a young child named Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles). The strange parent-child bond that emerges between Taylor and Alphie as he seeks to understand what’s right and what’s necessary is exactly what fans of the show will love. Stream The Creator on Hulu or rent it on Prime Video.
After Yang (2021)
In VisionQuest, White Vision has all of his memories—but as data, not as lived, emotional experiences. That makes his efforts to understand his existence and his responsibility to the boy who might be a version of his son (it’s complicated) poignant and moving. Those two words definitely describe After Yang, a story about a family that fights to save the artificial companion they bought for their adopted daughter when it malfunctions. Over the course of the film, the inhuman Yang becomes defined by the memories contained in its core, and the question of whether an artificial intelligence can truly matter to humans is answered with a resounding yes. Stream After Yang on The Roku Channel or Kanopy, or rent it on Prime Video.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
No discussion of artificial life and sentience is complete without mentioning Blade Runner. While the 1982 original is a classic, the 2017 sequel is a better thematic and visual match to VisionQuest. Officer K (Ryan Gosling) is a replicant, an artificial being with built-in limitations, who wants to be recognized as a person, a being with a soul. Like Vision, he has implanted memories that offer him comfort and context for his life, but he’s not sure if he can accept them as truly his own. Plus, the film offers lush visuals and Harrison Ford reprising his role in the original film, so you simply can’t go wrong. Rent Blade Runner 2049 on Prime Video.
