The Matrix is one of those sci-fi movies that changed the history of filmmaking. There had already been several movies that explored the ideas of parallel worlds and alternate realities, but arguably never something that had made the audience question every single aspect of their reality, and what it truly means to be human. Even now, The Matrix permeates modern culture in day to day life. When unusual things are seen in society that seem too coincidental or to strange, people often still call it "a glitch in the Matrix."

From the outset of the original trilogy, there were many references to Lewis Carroll's famous children’s story Alice in Wonderland. Anyone who has read the book will know that it is a surreal and uncanny experience, where Alice is made to second guess the way the world works, and everything that she thought she knew up until that moment. In the original Matrix films, Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) even refers to Alice in Wonderland when he gives Neo (Keanu Reeves) the choice between the red and blue pills: "If you take the red pill, you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes." These Alice in Wonderland comparisons were strewn throughout the films, and the newest release, The Matrix: Resurrection, is certainly no exception.

RELATED: Comparing the HBO Series Westworld To The 1973 Film

The first motif that has been spotted by eagle-eyed fans when watching the latest installment into this film franchise is the use of animals. Throughout Alice in Wonderland, the reader can find a range of animals, from real-world creatures, to a plethora of new and never seen before creatures. There are playing cards belonging to the Queen of Hearts who walk and talk, and the glasses and spades that fly and cry and help guide Alice on her journey. But the two most famous animal characters in the book are, of course, The White Rabbit and the Cheshire Cat.

The White Rabbit appears in several ways throughout the new film, both in literal, and in more subtle senses. In the most glaringly obvious way, it appears as a tattoo on the left shoulder of Bugs (yes, exactly like Bugs Bunny, as if the tattoo wasn’t enough of a hint) the girl who leads Neo into the nightclub and sets him back on his whole journey with reawakening. This is a throwback to the first film, when Neo sees a similar tattoo on a woman named DuJour after seeing a message prompting him to "follow the white rabbit." However, the Rabbit is also symbolized in other ways throughout the film, often in portals which are usually mirrors. The portals are, in essence, the rabbit hole that Alice goes down, and the fact that they are mirrors is both a reference to Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, another of Alice's adventures in a surreal world. The mirror portals represent reflection of the human condition, and our everyday choice between taking the easy road, and fighting hard for a life that is ultimately more real and rewarding.

Bugs The Matrix

The Cheshire Cat is a slightly trickier one to spot, but in conjunction with another creature from Lewis Carroll's story, it becomes a little more obvious. During the early stage of the film, Neo is seeing a psychiatrist in order to banish the nightmares of the Matrix from the original films that are keeping him awake. In the shrink's office there is a black cat, who strides purposefully across the table towards Neo. Although on its own, this isn’t necessarily symbolic, it is made all the more so by the fact that the office is also covered in butterflies, framed on the wall, and the psychiatrist bears a striking resemblance to the caterpillar from the original text. This resemblance is fortified by the dark blue jumper, the same color in which the caterpillar is most commonly portrayed, and all the butterflies in the office are also blue. Blue is a significant color in the Matrix franchise, as it is the color of the pill that keeps humans trapped in The Matrix and locked in a seemingly perfect dream world, whilst one's body is in true torment. The fact that this is the color of "The Analyst's" clothing, and of Bugs' hair, was not lost on fans.

The Analyst Matrix

If all of that wasn’t enough, there are two more obvious references: the song and the book itself. The song "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane was aptly chosen for the Resurrections trailer, as it sums up the psychedelic and other worldly experience that both Alice and Neo go through during their adventures. Both characters are the "chosen one" in a story far grander than themselves, and are thrust into a fate that they never wanted, but also one that they chose through their own decisions and actions. This is a motif that is explored well within the lyrics, through the lens of Alice's experiences.

As for the book, it is literally shown on screen in the hands of the character Sati as she dwells in her café reading it, a definitive and absolute link between the classic tale and the modern film. In both stories, the protagonist is manipulated through several versions of the world, which shifts and changes beneath their feet like the character of Smith (Hugo Weaving) in the original films, in order to ultimately discover what is real and true within themselves.

MORE: The Formation Of Starfleet Explained