Good Will Hunting (1997)

“Good Will Hunting” is a heart-felt, brilliantly acted and superbly written drama that absolutely deserves the five stars that I have awarded it.

Whilst I’m not usually a fan of these sorts of films, I was completely invested in “Good Will Hunting”, mainly due to the excellent performances. Every actor brings heart, humour and nuance to their roles; I would love to praise all of them but that would take far too long.

Matt Damon is outstanding as Will Hunting, even though his character does some questionable things, he is still incredibly likeable and relatable. Like all of the characters in “Good Will Hunting”, Will is a multi-layered, realistic and complex person whose arc in the film is immensely satisfying.

In my opinion, the actor who gives the greatest performance in “Good Will Hunting” is Robin Williams (who won a very well-earned Oscar for this film.) Although he is most recognisable as a comedian, Williams plays sombre moments in an equally phenomenal way. His chemistry with Matt Damon makes every exchange between the two earnest and engaging. It is a testament to Williams that he can make the audience laugh out loud and cry in a very short space of time.

“Good Will Hunting” is one of the most masterfully written films ever! It’s humorous, emotional, believable and powerful. It balances a plethora of themes, conflicting tones and multiple character journeys flawlessly. Despite the endless flow of derogatory language, the dialogue here is top-notch; the fact that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote this script with such depth and maturity when they were in their 20s is astonishing!

In conclusion, “Good Will Hunting” is one of the best dramas that I have seen to date. It has an incredible cast, a perfect script and outstanding direction.