TRON: Ares (2025)

Movie · 2025 · Science Fiction, Adventure, Action · 1h 59m · PG-13 · English

Curator score: 0.9/10 (359.7K ratings)

No going back.

Overview

A highly sophisticated Program called Ares is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind's first encounter with A.I. beings.

Ratings

Director

Joachim Rønning

Production

Walt Disney Pictures, Sean Bailey Productions

Cast

Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Gillian Anderson, Jodie Turner-Smith, Jeff Bridges, Hasan Minhaj, Arturo Castro, Cameron Monaghan, Sarah Desjardins, Aaron Paul Stewart, Roger Cross, Roark Critchlow, Katharine Isabelle, Gary Vaynerchuk, Kwesi Ameyaw, Robin Roberts, Kara Swisher, Sandy Robson, Tal Shulman

Where to watch

Disney Plus

Curator Review

Verdict

A visually driven, high-volume sci-fi action sequel that plays strongest as a sound-and-image experience. The story and AI ideas seem thin, but the craft, momentum, and industrial-scale spectacle give it enough appeal for fans of glossy franchise futurism.

Best for

  • viewers who prioritize audiovisual spectacle over plot
  • fans of sleek cyberpunk-adjacent action
  • people curious about a big-screen Nine Inch Nails-inflected soundtrack experience
  • audiences who enjoy chase-heavy sci-fi with neon design

Skip if

  • you want a tight, coherent screenplay
  • you dislike franchise entries that feel like style-first exercises
  • you need meaningful AI commentary or emotional depth
  • you are not in the mood for loud, synthetic, hyper-polished blockbuster filmmaking

Overview

TRON: Ares looks built to be experienced more than analyzed. The strongest reactions around it point to a movie that is all surface charge: gleaming visuals, punishing sound design, and a propulsive, almost industrial sense of motion. If that’s your lane, it can feel like a rare studio spectacle that fully commits to being a sensory event.

Worth noting

The downside is that the film seems to know exactly how to move, but not always why. The AI premise promises big ideas, yet the consensus suggests the script mostly serves as connective tissue between set pieces. That leaves it closer to a premium-format demo reel with narrative garnish than a fully satisfying sci-fi drama.

Bottom line

Still, there’s a real audience for this kind of maximalist, mood-forward blockbuster. If you go in wanting atmosphere, chase energy, and a soundtrack-led pulse, it may land as a guilty pleasure or even a legitimate blast. If you want the franchise to evolve into something smarter or more emotionally resonant, this is probably a miss.

Top Letterboxd reviews

𝐉 (2.5★) · 7217 likes

It's basically a $200m music video for a new NIN album

jonathan fujii (1.5★) · 5521 likes

A really pretty poop from a butt

Joe A · 5068 likes

Tron: Legacy, I’m very sorry. You deserved better.

zoë rose bryant (3.5★) · 4205 likes

honestly if you watch it solely as a two hour long nine inch nails music video with sick visual effects and sound design it’s kind of dope

David Sims (3★) · 4009 likes

my adoration for "Tron shit" really being put to the test here...but I do love Tron shit

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Topics

science fiction, action, adventure, cyberpunk, AI, neon visuals, soundtrack-driven, blockbuster spectacle, tech anxiety, chase movie

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