Top 5 – Matt Damon Movies
Who doesn’t love Matt Damon? He has as much talent as does charisma, making him one of Hollywood’s golden boys. However, compared to other stars like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and even his buddy Ben Affleck, Damon isn’t the superstar he deserves to be. He consistently makes great movies and always gives excellent performances. So, in honor of Suburbicon coming out this weekend, here are my favorite Matt Damon movies.
5 – TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE (Trey Parker & Matt Stone, 2004)
Maaaaaattttt Daaaaammmmooon. Hahaha, just kidding.
5 – ROUNDERS (John Dahl, 1998)
If you haven’t noticed, I usually throw a wildcard pick in these lists. This isn’t just to cause a stir or to intentionally leave off a great movie, it just happens when I make these lists. Rounders will never show up on anybody’s Top 5 Matt Damon Movies list, but it does for me. Maybe it’s because I love poker, or maybe it’s because this movie is brilliant. I’m going to go with the later. Rounders takes us into the poker underworld, as Mike McDermott (Damon) tries to get out of the gambling life and help his sketchy friend Worm (Edward Norton) while also attempting to get through law school. Even if you know nothing about the game of Texas Hold ‘Em, you’ll still be engaged by the interesting characters, story, and mixture of tension and brief comedy. Damon is great and really holds his own against Norton and the scene stealing John Malkovich. Rounders is an all-timer for me, and one I will watch whenever it is on.
4 – THE DEPARTED (Martin Scorsese, 2006)
The Departed might be my overall favorite movie on this list. Martin Scorsese finally earned his Best Director Oscar for this thriller about a cop (Leonardo DiCaprio) who infiltrates the mob, while the mob puts one of their own (Damon) in the police unit to tip them off. This is one of the Damon’s most underrated performances, if not his most. Everyone who talks about The Departed talks about DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, and the only Oscar nominee from the film, Mark Wahlberg. But Damon flies under the radar and becomes the tragic character of the film. As he rises in the police department, his internal struggle and loyalty to the mob is put into question, as he tries to figure out who he really is. It is also one of the few roles Damon plays the villain. It’s a brilliant performance in a brilliant movie.
3 – THE MARTIAN (Ridley Scott, 2015)
The Martian is a movie that Matt Damon was made for. He plays astronaut Mark Watney, a botanist who is left by his crew on Mars and must survive until they can come back to get him. Damon dominates around 80% of the movie by himself, which takes the skill of a true acting pro. Damon pulls out everything he’s got. He’s as compelling as ever and a blast to watch, with a perfect mix of comedy and drama. The Martian was also a return to form for Sir Ridley Scott, as his expert craftsmanship is in full force on this one. This was a surprise smash in 2015, and it was largely due to Matt Damon’s Oscar nominated performance.
2 – GOOD WILL HUNTING (Gus Van Sant, 1997)
This is the movie that essentially launched Damon’s career as superstar and legitimate actor. Damon, who also wrote the film with Ben Affleck, plays Will Hunting, a tortured genius who doesn’t realize his true potential until he meets a tough, knowledgable therapist (Robin Williams). Williams is extraordinary and rightly earned his Oscar, but Damon is right there with him. This is a layered, moving performance, that will make you angry and make you cry all at the same time. His chemistry with Williams is perfect, especially in the heartbreaking, “It’s not your fault” scene. This is the movie that put Damon on the map and could be argued that this is the best performance of his career.
1 – THE BOURNE SERIES (Doug Liman, Paul Greengrass, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2016)
You could argue that the performances listed about are better performances, or even better movies. For some of them, yes, you are correct. But The Bourne Series is number one on this list for a number of reasons. Firstly, Damon is perfect in it. He kicks some serious ass and we care enough about him that we are on the ride with him to find answers. Secondly, they are great movies. In a time when the James Bond franchise was hitting career lows, Doug Liman’s The Bourne Identity comes out and gave the spy genre the shot in the arm that it needed. In a cool spy thriller reminiscent of the films of the 70’s, we are introduced to our amnesic agent, Jason Bourne (Damon), and his quest for answers. The series got a huge boost in 2004, when Paul Greengrass took over with The Bourne Supremacy, which elevated the story and action to new heights. Greengrass the made The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), which is one of the finest and most riveting third films in any series. But mostly, The Bourne Series is number one because this will be the movie(s) Damon will forever be remembered for. This is his most iconic roll. When you think Jason Bourne, you think Matt Damon.
What are your favorite Matt Damon movies? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @kevflix or on Facebook at Kevflix.