The same fifteen words as the cards above, written out in full — easy to scan, search or print.

the red pill or the blue pillC1noun phrase

choosing between an uncomfortable truth and a comfortable lie

Morpheus offers Neo the red pill or the blue pill: the truth, or waking up in his bed believing whatever he prefers.

have a choiceA2phrase

the decision is yours, with nobody forcing you

Morpheus promises one thing only, the truth, so Neo has a choice and nobody is forcing him.

have no choiceB1phrase

said when circumstances forced your hand and you could not decide freely

When Agents in dark suits detain Neo and warn him to stop asking questions, he has no choice but to listen.

a leap of faithB2noun phrase

acting before you have any proof that it will work

Neo swallows the red pill on a leap of faith: no evidence, only an intuition and a stranger’s promise.

there’s no turning backB2phrase

said of a decision you cannot undo, like signing a contract

Morpheus warns Neo that once he wakes aboard the battered hovercraft, there’s no turning back.

follow your gutB2phrase

deciding on instinct rather than careful reasoning; British speakers also say trust your instincts

Sparring inside a simulation, Morpheus keeps telling Neo to stop thinking and follow his gut.

make up your mindB1phrase

to decide, finally, after a long time of not being sure

Being the One, the Oracle says, is like being in love: nobody can tell you, so you make up your own mind.

it’s up to youB1phrase

the decision belongs to one person alone

The Oracle declines to decide for Neo, and tells him it’s up to him.

free willB2noun phrase

the freedom to make your own choices

Every member of the crew reached the ship the same way Neo did, by choosing the red pill, and that is free will.

weigh up your optionsB2phrase

to consider every possibility before you commit to one

With the Agents pursuing the crew, Neo has to weigh up his options before he commits to anything.

the path of least resistanceC1noun phrase

the easiest option, the one that asks nothing of you

The system wants humanity to take the path of least resistance and sleep on in the pods.

think for yourselfB1phrase

to form your own opinions rather than swallow whatever you are told

The film’s own message is to think for yourself instead of swallowing whatever you are told.

mind-bendingC1adjective

so strange that it is difficult to understand

Critics rank The Matrix among Hollywood’s most mind-bending blockbusters.

revolutionaryB2adjective

completely changing how things are done

The visual effects were revolutionary, and every action film since has borrowed from them.

philosophicalC1adjective

concerned with deep questions about life, truth and reality

Reviewers were astonished to find such philosophical questions hidden inside a mainstream action picture.