Good Will Hunting is a 1997 directed by Gus Van Sant, and starring Matt Dameon and Robin Williams. It follows a janitor who is also an extremely gifted mathematician, who must determine the course of his life with the help of his psychiatrist. This is really a great drama, of not just a bit formulaic.

Good Will Hunting stars Matt Damon as Will, a janitor at MIT University. However, when he solves an extremely difficult math equation accidentally, a professor takes interest in him, and tries to get him a career in mathematics. Due to his probation however, Will is forced to meet with a psychiatrist named Sean, a friend of the math professorGood Will Hunting is an excellent film. It has likable, well-written, realistic characters, a good protagonist, and a very relatable theme. There really isn’t much I can say other than that this movie essentially succeeds in every account. The acting, especially by Matt Damon, is fantastic. He conveys the character’s flaws very realistically, and he’s incredibly likable, particularly in the bar scene. The main flaw with a Will is that he doesn’t want to use his talents, or that he’s afraid to. This is prevalent throughout the movie, and it’s more unique than most cliche drama themes. And I found it very relatable, as I have to go to college soon, and the pressure to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life exerted on Will in this movie feels similar to high school nowadays.

There’s not many flaws with this film. It almost feels like a perfect movie. If I had to find something wrong with Good Will Hunting, it’d be that it’s a tad predictable at times. Granted, it’s probably because this film follows a clear version of the “hero’s journey,” but that formula works pretty much all the time, so the predictability doesn’t really hurt the movie itself.

All in all, Good Will Hunting is simply a great film. There’s not much I can talk about with it, because it simply excels in every account. It’s definitely worth watching, and more than likely a career-best performance for Matt Damon.