We’ve ranked the top three survival movies starring Academy Award winner Matt Damon. The rankings were based on each film’s Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. This comes ahead of the July 17 release of Christopher Nolan’s newest epic action movie, The Odyssey, featuring Damon as Odysseus.
Best Matt Damon survival movies ranked by RT score
3) Gerry (2003) – 61%
At number three is Gus Van Sant’s 2003 independent drama movie Gerry, which starred Damon and Casey Affleck as two friends with the same name who get lost in the desert without any food or water. In addition to leading the cast, Damon and Affleck also co-wrote the screenplay with Van Sant. The experimental survival film received a 61% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was praised for its stunning cinematography and deadpan humor. Even though some liked the director’s minimalist approach to the story, others found it dull and repetitive because of its lack of momentum.
2) Interstellar (2014) – 73%
Christopher Nolan’s 2014 epic sci-fi movie Interstellar takes the second spot, with an approval rating of 73% on Rotten Tomatoes. This served as Damon’s first collaboration with Nolan. His involvement was actually a surprise to the audience after the creative team decided to keep his appearance a secret during the promotional campaign. In the 2014 film, Damon played legendary NASA scientist Dr. Mann, who becomes an antagonist after being marooned on a planet. His desperation to survive leads him to sabotage his research. Critics were actually divided over Damon’s character, with some praising Damon’s unexpected casting since it added more danger to the main characters’ situation. Meanwhile, others expressed disappointment over the Dr. Mann plot, describing it as unnecessary and distracting.
1) The Martian (2015) – 93%
Claiming the number one spot as Matt Damon’s highest-rated survival movie is Ridley Scott’s 2015 sci-fi film The Martian. It currently holds a 93% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. Many critics were impressed with the film’s optimistic story and entertaining, fun look at complex science. Damon’s charming and compelling performance as a NASA botanist who’s left stranded on Mars after his crew thought that he died was universally praised by critics and audiences. The film received seven major Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Originally reported by Dan Girolamo for ComingSoon.
