Inside the Grid: Tron: Ares’ digital dream built upon its code
A masterclass of film atmosphere powered by a roaring soundtrack better than the movie it serves.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Tron: Ares (2025) is Disney’s newest addition to the Tron franchise, a threequel, and soft reboot of the series. Directed by Joachim Rønning, this sequel to the film Tron: Legacy (2010) and the threequel to cult classic, Tron (1982), embraces its digital theme while elevating it with breathtaking visual artistry. It succeeds in reinventing the digital world, the grid, with sparkling modern technology. The cinematic experience casts lead actor Jared Leto, while also starring Jeff Bridges, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, and Gillian Anderson.
The story follows Ares, an advanced humanoid Artificial Intelligence (AI) program that leaves the digital world for a mission in the real world. Mankind encounters AI beings for the first time whilst diving deep into philosophical questions: what it means to be alive?
Most movie franchises lack one thing: a sequel that succeeds in the box office and is praised by the fanbase. However, Tron: Ares (2025) perfectly complements the two films that preceded it. Nostalgia is present, but not too much so the entire film becomes blinded by it; it is not the driving factor of the newly told story. Tron: Ares (2025) instead builds upon that nostalgia to create a storytelling masterpiece.
The film’s strongest heartbeat lies with its extraordinary production. It is an absolute rush from beginning to end that is a visual and sonic triumph, with a soundtrack that is out of this world. This movie has some of the best non-stop action from beginning to end in modern cinema. The score produced by NIИ, Nine Inch Nails, perfectly complements the film’s vibe. Tracks like “I Know You Can Feel It,” “Empathetic Response,” and “What Have You Done?” inject emotion into every scene, turning basic visuals into a full body experience. Nine Inch Nails does not just accompany the story, but acts as the rhythm and soul of the entire film.
Nevertheless, the film’s weakness lies beneath the surface. All character arcs are fantastically done, but some seem to promise more than what is truly presented in the film. A few characters in the beginning feel like the main role for the film, yet they later on become side characters. Though this is a soft reboot of the franchise, the way to get the best experience out of this film is to watch the two that come before it first. This does not mean you will not understand the story without them; the first two will simply enhance the enjoyment of the film.
Even with its flaws, Tron: Ares (2025) achieves something extraordinary: a well thought-out threequel that is not there just to make money, but to tell a story no one will forget and be a movie that mesmerizes the eyes and ears. Sadly, this film is currently underperforming in the box office. Although there are hints at a future sequel to Tron: Ares (2025), if this film continues to flop there will be no more Tron movies and Disney will retire the franchise. The only reason another Tron movie was produced was because of Jared Leto taking the money out of his pocket to continue the franchise. This film is extremely underrated and is well worth the price of a ticket.