Matt Damon is one of Hollywood’s most prominent leading men and has been for over two decades. Winning several awards and nominations, Damon started his journey to fame as a child with his friend Ben Affleck. Today, he’s been in several blockbusters, cult classics, and other hits that keep fans coming back. Below are six of the best Matt Damon movies, whether his part in the film is small or big.
6. Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Starting our list of the best Matt Damon movies is Ocean’s Eleven. While all the Ocean’s installments are good, this film is where it all started. The first film centers on ex-con Danny Ocean and his team of criminals, which included Damon as pickpocket Linus Caldwell, as they try to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously. Full of action-packed scenes, Damon does well with this star-studded cast.
5. Oppenheimer (2023)
Fifth on our list of the best Matt Damon movies is Oppenheimer. One of the newer films on this list, director Christopher Nolan puts Damon’s acting chops to the test, playing U.S. Army General Leslie Groves. In charge of the Manhattan Project, Groves is conflicted. While he wants to run the project by the book, he knows unconventional physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer is right for the job, even with his ties to the Communist Party.
4. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Next on our list of the best Matt Damon movies is The Talented Mr. Ripley. Adapted from a novel, Damon plays lonely grifter Tom Ripley. Trying to invade rich playboy Dickie Greenleaf’s inner circle, his ruse works at first, until his new social standing starts to crumble. This leads Ripley to take drastic steps to keep his standing, even if it means lying, cheating, and murdering.
3. The Martian (2015)
Rounding out the top three best Matt Damon movies is The Martian. Damon stars as Mark Watney, an astronaut who becomes stranded on Mars when a dust storm knocks him down, and his team assumes he’s dead. Instead of giving up, Watney decides to rely on his botany skills to stay alive long enough for NASA to send a rescue mission back to the red planet.
2. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Second on our list of the best Matt Damon movies is Saving Private Ryan. While his screen time may be less compared to the other films on this list, Damon plays the titular Private Ryan, who needs saving in the midst of World War II. Tom Hanks stars as the platoon leader sent behind enemy lines to save Ryan. Damon comes in later in the film and delivers an emotional monologue about his late siblings.
1. Good Will Hunting (1997)
Last but not least on our list of the best Matt Damon movies is Good Will Hunting. The launching point for Damon and his best friend Ben Affleck, the film centers on a South Boston janitor (Damon) who works at MIT and is secretly a math whiz. When he gets discovered, it’s up to a university psychologist, played by the incredible Robin Williams, to uncover the wounds in Will’s past so he can continue with his future.