Since his breakout film,Good Will Hunting,Matt Damonhas become one of Hollywood’s biggest leading men. Throughout his career, he has collected many accolades, including an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, plus two nominations for Best Actor and one for Best Supporting Actor.
The Boston native went on to star in important roles in films made by some of the greatest directors of the generation, includingSteven Spielberg,Martin Scorsese,Christopher Nolan, andRidley Scott. Acting in a wide range of roles, from an astronaut to a former CIA agent, he has cemented himself as one of his generation’s best actors.Damon has assembled a diverse filmography, including multiple modern classics with high ratings on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
10’The Departed' (2006)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
The 2007 Best Picture winner marks Damon’s only collaboration with Martin Scorsese. In this film, Damon plays Colin Sullivan, a loyal servant toJack Nicholson’s ruthless Irish crime boss Frank Costello. Sullivan infiltrates the Boston police force with his wits and charm.The Departedalso starsLeonardo DiCaprio,Vera Farmiga, andMark Wahlberg.
Damon utilizes his likable image to portray the villain deuteragonist of the story, showing his range to the audience. Scorsese purposefully cast Damon due to his confidence and bravado, which would entice the audience, even if he were to play a criminal character.The Departedwas a massive critical and commercial success, winning Best Picture at the 2007 Oscars and giving Scorsese his first and so far only Best Director win.
The Departed
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9’The Martian' (2015)
Ridley Scott’s science-fiction epicThe Martianfollows Damon as Mark Watney, an astronaut stranded on Mars after his crewmates leave him behind, believing him to be dead. Watney displays his resourcefulness as he struggles to survive while his crewmates look to get him back home. Watney regularly positively approaches his dire situations, trying to make jokes and sing along to music whenever possible.
The Martianis amongthe best movies set on Marsand a wonderful tale of human resistance and endurance. Damon carries the film almost entirely on his back, spending most of it alone and supporting it through his charm and on-screen power.The Martianwas a box-office hit and received acclaim from critics, who called it a career-high for Damon. The actor received his third Oscar nomination for the film but did not win.
The Martian
An astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive and can survive until a potential rescue.
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8’The Bourne Ultimatum' (2007)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
The third film part of the action-thriller series,The Bourne Ultimatum, features the titular character, Jason Bourne, played by Damon, as a former CIA agent, as he tries to discover his missing identity. With some saying that it featured Damon’s best performance, critics lauded the direction, writing, and, specifically, the action in the film.
With the story slowly built up during the previous two films,The Bourne Ultimatumisa stunning action and thriller. Damon plays the role of Bourne better than ever, nailing the brutality of Bourne while maintaining his confusion and humanity.The Bourne Ultimatumreceived rave reviews, with many considering it the finest entry in the saga and a worthy send-off for Jason Bourne. Damon returned to the role nearly a decade later in the far less acclaimedJason Bourne.
The Bourne Ultimatum
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7’Ford v Ferrari' (2019)
InFord v Ferrari, Damon plays Carroll Shelby, an automotive designer for Ford who teams up with hothead racer Ken Miles (Christian Bale) to build a revolutionary vehicle. Persevering through all odds, including the corruption of automobile companies and their obstacles, the duo attempts to compete against Ferrari racers with their car.
Damon showed his acting acumen in this performance by taking charge of every scene he was in and not trying to outshine Bale. The result is one ofthe all-time best racing moviesand a worthy showcase for Damon and Bale.Ford v. Ferrariearned rave reviews, with major praise for its direction and production values. It received four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and won the awards for Best Editing and Best Sound Editing.
Ford v Ferrari
American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles battle corporate interference and the laws of physics to build a revolutionary race car for Ford in order to defeat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.
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6’Air' (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Airmarked the first time Damon was directed by his close friend,Ben Affleck. In the movie, Damon played the role of Sonny Vaccaro, who was hired to find the next Nike spokesperson athlete for the company. The movie features a young Michael Jordan, whose skills impressed Vaccaro enough to offer him the opportunity.
Vaccaro is the film’s hero, allowing Damon to show off his full acting range.Airreceived acclaim from critics and audiences, with major praise going to Affleck’s direction and the cast, particularly Damon and Oscar-winner Viola Davis. The film will surely be a major contender during the 2023 awards season, potentially adding another Best Picture nominee to Damon’s resumé.
Follows the history of sports marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro, and how he led Nike in its pursuit of the greatest athlete in the history of basketball, Michael Jordan.
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5’Oppenheimer' (2023)
Christopher Nolan’s latest film marks his second collaboration with Damon after his unexpected role inInterstellar. The film surrounds the life of brilliant physicist Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) as he is commissioned to create the atomic bomb by the United States government and the fallout of his political and psychological actions. Damon takes on the role of General Leslie Groves, who recruits Oppenheimer for the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
Critics praised every aspect of the film, from Nolan’s brilliant directing and writing to Murphy’s quiet, introspective performance;many claimOppenheimeris Nolan’s magnum opusand the film that will finally win him the Best Director Oscar. However, Damon’s nuanced performance often flies under the radar, especially against showier performances from Murphy,Emily Blunt, andRobert Downey Jr.
Oppenheimer
4’Behind the Candelabra' (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Behind the Candelabra, the tale of eccentric singer Liberace (Michael Douglas) and his young lover, Scott Thorson (Damon), ranks as one of Damon’s best-reviewed movies. Directed by Damon’s usual collaborator,Steven Soderbergh, the film explores the highs and lows and the love between Liberace and Thorson, ending with Liberace’s eventual demise.
Critics raved about Soderbergh’s direction inBehind the Candelabra, highlighting the raw and unfiltered emotion between the two lovers.Michael Douglas’ acclaimed performancein the lead role earned him multiple accolades, including the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series. However, Damon is just as impressive, portraying Thorson from a very young age and capturing his insecurity and vulnerability.
Behind the Candelabra
The film delves into the tumultuous six-year relationship between the flamboyant piano virtuoso Liberace and his much younger lover, Scott Thorson. Set against the backdrop of Las Vegas’s glittering showbiz world, the story reveals the extravagance and deception within their private life, highlighting the emotional and legal complications that ensue as their partnership deteriorates.
3’Saving Private Ryan' (1998)
Steven Spielberg’sSaving Private Ryanfollows a group of soldiers led by Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) as they attempt to rescue the stranded Private James Ryan during the battle of Normandy in France during World War II. Although Damon is introduced in the film after almost 100 minutes, his performance as the titular character in Steven Spielberg’s war epic marks one of his best roles.
Widely considered amongthe all-time best war movies,Saving Private Ryanwon five Oscar awards, including Best Director and Best Cinematography. Although his intervention in the film is short, Damon’s performance as Private Ryan remains poignant and pivotal for the film. His scene opposite Hanks is among the most memorable and powerful in the film, contributing to its enduring legacy as a modern masterpiece.
Saving Private Ryan
Following the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.
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2’True Grit' (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
TheCoen Brothers’ Western dramaTrue Gritfeatures Damon in a leading role as Texas Ranger LaBoeuf. In the film, Mattie Ross, a young girl from Arkansas, Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), enlists the help of Deputy U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), an avaricious gentleman, after her father is murdered. Along the way, they encounter LaBoeuf, who wants to catch the killer for his own reasons.
The second adaptation of the eponymous 1968 book,True Gritwas praised by critics for many reasons, including its characters, storyline, and cinematography. Although the heart of the film surrounds the budding relationship between Ross and Cogburn, LaBoeuf rounds out the cast to form a formidable trio.True Gritis widely considered among the best Western remakesand yet another triumph in the Coens' filmography.
A stubborn teenager enlists the help of a tough U.S. Marshal to track down her father’s murderer.
1’Good Will Hunting' (1997)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
The top-reviewed film by Damon on Rotten Tomatoes also features his best performance and skills, as he played the leading role and co-wrote the film. Damon plays Will Hunting, a brilliant but damaged janitor who has a knack for mathematics. The film follows Hunting as he attempts to find purpose in his life with the help of his therapist, Dr. Sean Maguire (Robin Williams).
Good Will Huntingearned Damon the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and cemented him as a household name. The movie’s legacy remains strong today, both as Damon and Ben Affleck’s mainstream debuts and asa showcase for the late Robin Williams, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Good Will Hunting
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