“Why Use Old Code to Mirror Something New?” Retrofuturism in Queer Science Fiction Film

The article examines the intersection of retrofuturism and queer theory in science fiction film, using <italic>The Matrix Resurrections</italic> (2021) as a central case study. I argue that retrofuturism, which concerns past visions of the future, has become increasingly prevalent in SF cinema. While often linked to nostalgia and to a broader tendency in late capitalist culture, a queered “retrofuturist impulse” can offer progressive possibilities for speculative cinema. <italic>The Matrix Resurrections</italic> creatively reinterprets the original trilogy’s retro style and the cyberpunk genre through a queer sensibility. The film critiques nostalgic rehashing of a “future-past” by depicting “old code” as a restrictive loop, while using retrofuturist aesthetics to explore queer themes and politics. I posit that queer retrofuturism can repurpose familiar SF tropes to envision hopeful and progressive futures, demonstrating how “old code” can mirror something new—a queer futurity resurrected from a “lost future.”