Are we living in a simulation? Is the world as we know it real? To tackle these mind-bending ideas, we must dive down the rabbit hole of science, philosophy, and conspiracy theory. Directed by Rodney Ascher (Room 237), the preeminent documentarian of today’s obsessional thinking, A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX introduces us to a handful of real-world testifiers who are certain that their bodies and minds are being operated by some external game-player. Leaving no stone unturned in exploring the unprovable, the film uses contemporary cultural touchstones like The Matrix, interviews with real people shrouded in digital avatars, and a wide array of voices, expert and amateur alike. If simulation theory is not science fiction but fact, and life is a video game being played by some unknowable entity, then who are we, really? Ultimately venturing into serious concepts of identity, legal culpability, and the mechanics of social responsibility, A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX is the year’s most audacious documentary.

Look under the hood of existence—but only if you dare.