Matt Damon has featured in a wide range of sci-fi movies over the course of his career, which have included some of the best films in his entire acting roster, and some films that squarely avoid that category. Generally, Matt Damon is more predominately associated with the action genre than he is sci-fi more specifically, though this is not reflective of the actor’s movie catalog, which contains more than its fair share of technologically advanced or space-faring adventures.
This sci-fi lineup spans the course of almost three decades, and a fair amount of Matt Damon’s movie career. Damon’s time with sci-fi films started in 2000 – which was very much towards the start of his time on the big screen – and has continued on since then, with some of the later entries in this genre coming in more recent years, and reflecting the actor’s larger name overall in the world of movies.
The scope and scale of this sci-fi movie roster means not every sci-fi installment Matt Damon has appeared in can be a hit, if only because the sci-fi genre is one that’s somewhat famous for having some stellar stories, and some that shoot for the stars and fall short. However, it has to be said that all of Matt Damon’s sci-fi movies are worth watching for their own reasons, even if they’re not all cut from the same cloth.
The Great Wall
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The Great Wall is generally regarded as one of the weaker additions to Matt Damon’s filmography, both specifically regarding his forays into the sci-fi genre, and more broadly speaking too. As such, it’s no surprise it ends up being lower down than many of Damon’s other, more well-regarded entries in the genre.
The Great Wall‘s premise is one that is undeniably interesting, even if it’s handled in a way that has elicited mixed results over the years. Said premise sees Damon’s protagonist William Garin team up with a group of other warriors who join forces on the Great Wall of China to defend Earth from an alien threat that attacks every 60 years.
Though The Great Wall‘s script and overall execution leave much to be desired, there are still positives to be gained from watching its story. This is largely through The Great Wall‘s talented cast, which also features Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe, and award-winning actor and musician Andy Lau.
Downsizing
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The 2017 sci-fi comedy-drama story of Downsizing is at once entertaining and somewhat terrifying, as the futuristic narrative sees Earth aim to deal with an overpopulation problem by shrinking down a portion of humanity to live on a smaller scale and use up fewer resources.
Matt Damon stars in this story as lead character Paul Safranek, whose life is turned upside down when he makes plans to undergo the downsizing surgery alongside his wife, only to find out she’s backed out of the procedure, and is now leaving him. Safranek later discovers the dark underbelly of the downsizing tech, with it only accentuating the divide between the wealthy and those without such means.
While Downsizing handles its mix of genres at times more awkwardly, the way the movie handles a range of topics you may not expect it to when first starting the film gives it far more substance than it initially appears may be the case. It also manages to feel like a hopeful movie overall even as it explores its darker subject material, making it worth a watch even if it has its own flaws.
The Zero Theorem
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Matt Damon’s role within The Zero Theorem is not the lead role that he has in many of his other sci-fi films, but it’s still a notable addition to his overall filmography all the same.
The Zero Theorem revolves around programmer Qohen Leth, who is given a project known as the Zero Theorem by his boss, referred to as Management – and played by Matt Damon. The Zero Theorem is a mathematical formula intended to determine the meaning of life, and which is so intricate and complex that others who have tried to solve it have burned out or in some cases even died from the strain it puts on them.
Though many more critical reviews of The Zero Theorem note that the film rehashes old ground in some ways for both director Terry Gilliam and the sci-fi genre overall, the twisty premise and striking visuals of The Zero Theorem make it an easy watch, even if it’s an intentionally abstract one.
The Adjustment Bureau
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The Adjustment Bureau slots into a wide range of genres at once, being simultaneously a sci-fi story, a romance, and an action thriller all in its own right. This smorgasbord of different genres and the different tones that come with them is balanced out by the performances of Matt Damon’s David Norris and Emily Blunt’s Elise Sellas, who have a believable chemistry that helps things mesh together naturally.
David and Elise’s stories come together by a chance encounter that creates sparks between the two of them, only for this to be seemingly cut short when it’s revealed to David that shadowy forces conspire against this romance because it’s against the Adjustment Bureau’s “Plan” for humanity, with the Bureau controlling even the smallest details about people’s lives.
The tale of David fighting for love and for his right to free will is a compelling one that is sure to win over fans of several different kinds of movies, as it works either on a deeply existential level, or as a fun romp about an alternate sci-fi universe that doesn’t know it’s a dystopia of sorts.
Titan A.E
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Though it wasn’t a box office darling upon its 2000 release, Titan A.E has earned a reputation as a sci-fi cult classic movie for good reason. A key part of this comes down to the range of strong voice acting performances within it, which includes Matt Damon as main character Cale Tucker, Nathan Lane – who viewers may recognize as the voice of Timon in The Lion King – as Preedex Yoa, and Bill Pullman as Captain Joseph Korso.
Titan A.E is a true space-faring sci-fi story, following protagonist Cale teaming up with a crew of other galactic misfits to find the spaceship known as the Titan, which is a human-made craft that is thought to be capable of preventing humanity from dying out after the destruction of Earth by the Drej.
The tale that transpires is at once sprawling and grand and very human. Similarly, the roster of larger-than-life alien and human characters who come into the story are vibrant and engaging visually and emotionally, with their own well-fleshed out personalities too, meaning there is very little in the way of dull moments within the movie’s entire runtime – especially when factoring in its genuinely catchy soundtrack.
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Elysium was less celebrated by those who were hoping it would live up to the lofty standards established by director Neill Blomkamp with his prior film District 9. However, it still holds up well overall, even if aspects of its story such as its exploration of the topic of inequality are handled in some ways more poignantly by said predecessor.
The narrative of Elysium pulls no punches, delving into a future timeline wherein humanity has developed elaborate tools that can be used to deal with otherwise fatal or incurable diseases and conditions, but where this technology is locked with the rich on Elysium, a floating space station high above Earth, while the poor who still live on the planet suffer.
This premise naturally equals out into an emotional story that still feels grounded and painfully real even when it’s off exploring sci-fi concepts. The movie is also particularly key in Matt Damon’s filmography because of how much praise the actor has received for his performance within it, which sells the concept and its symbolism effectively.
Interstellar
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Those who do enjoy Interstellar tend to love it immensely, because of its unique nature as well as its distinctive atmosphere and tone. Interstellar ties together high-concept sci-fi and the intensity and importance of human emotion in its narrative, with the space travels of its central astronauts in search of a new home planet for humanity having plenty of devastatingly effective moments.
It’s a testament to Interstellar‘s writing and cinematography that the complex concepts and science conveyed in many of its most intricate moments don’t bog the film or viewer down and leave the film feeling overly analytical. Each more arduous concept is paired with a scene like a man realizing he missed his son grow up, giving audiences more tangible ideas to keep them invested.
This, of course, hinges around a range of performances from talented actors being just right. Fortunately, Interstellar‘s impressive cast of actors such as Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow, Michael Caine, and Matt Damon – who plays one of the astronauts sent into space throughout the course of the movie – help the complex puzzle pieces of Interstellar come together.
The Martian
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As arguably one of the most celebrated sci-fi films of recent history, there’s little that can be said about The Martian that hasn’t already been waxed lyrical about over the years since its 2015 release. Indeed, the fact The Martian maintains a 91% audience Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes despite having over 100,000 different reviews speaks to how much the movie means to such a wide range of people.
The Martian, as its name teases, focuses around an occupant of Mars throughout its story. Rather than an alien, though, The Martian‘s focal character is that of Matt Damon’s Dr. Mark Watney, who finds himself in the unenviable position of being left on Mars and having to survive long enough to be rescued by NASA after he’s presumed dead during a space mission.
This could easily be a recipe for a movie wherein little else happens, but the script ensures Mark Watney’s time on Mars is consistently engaging, and said matter is also helped by the stunning cinematography director Ridley Scott and the wider crew crafted for the film.
The performance of Matt Damon himself is also integral to the film’s lasting reception, since the success of The Martian was cemented by the actor giving his all when depicting the range of emotions you’d experience when trapped many miles away from your home planet or atmosphere.
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