Matt Damon has found success with several sci-fi films over the years, proving that he is a good fit for the genre, including the underrated Elysium. Interstellar and The Martianin particular, they are two science fiction films for which Damon has received immense critical praise. However, Elysium was released shortly before the two aforementioned films and never found the same recognition. 2013 Elysium was written and directed by Neill Blomkamp and is one of Damon’s most forgotten films.
In the world of ElysiumHumanity lives on an overpopulated Earth full of disease. About that, the super-rich reside in a luxury space station called Elysiumwhere they have everything they want, including infirmaries capable of curing any disease. Matt Damon’s character, Max Da Costa, aims to equalize the two classes. Elysium it has a 64% score on Rotten Tomatoes, but it’s a pretty strong sci-fi film and should be discussed more alongside Matt Damon’s best films.
Elysium was Matt Damon’s least popular space film of the 2010s
Matt Damon has memorable roles in Interstellar and Mars
Elysium the reviews may not be stellar, but it was by no means a critical bomb. However, Elysium remains Damon’s most overlooked sci-fi film of the 2010s. Just a year later Elysium, Damon made a surprise appearance in Christopher Nolan’s film Interstellar. Although Damon did not play the lead role in Nolan’s 2014 film, his character, Dr. Mann, was pivotal to the plot and created one of the major twists in Interstellar. Therefore, Damon’s role in the film was very memorable.
A year later, Damon returned to the sci-fi genre once again to star in Ridley Scott’s 2015 film. The Martian. In The MartianDamon played astronaut Mark Watney, who is stranded on Mars and must survive alone while a team of scientists works to bring him home. Of the three science fiction films, The Martian has the best reviews, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 91%, and even earned Damon an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Elysium wasn’t as good as Interstellar or Martian, but it was still great
Elysium proves that Matt Damon excels in the sci-fi genre
While The Martian has very strong reviews, Interstellar The Rotten Tomatoes score is 73%. In comparison, Elysium the score isn’t much lower, which proves it deserves more recognition as a solid Matt Damon sci-fi film. As science fiction films can be very complex, some of their concepts may not reach all audiences and critics, so they should not always be judged solely by their reviews and more by what they are trying to say. Despite slightly lower-than-expected review scores, Elysium is a very fun science fiction film in which Matt Damon stands out.
Elysium presents an intriguing story that allows you to root for Damon’s character as he tries to improve the lives of billions of people. Plus, it’s well directed and includes stunning sci-fi visuals. Elysium it may not have been a groundbreaking film or an instant classic, but it still deserves to be talked about more as a strong Matt Damon sci-fi film in addition to Interstellar and The Martian.
Neil Blomkamp’s first film since District 9, Elysium, is a post-apocalyptic action film set in the year 2154, where the people of Earth live in desolation. Those lucky enough to be rich live on Elysium, an orbiting space station that contains state-of-the-art medical facilities and every comfort a human could want. Secretary Rhodes intends to protect this utopia from Earth’s outsiders by using strict anti-immigration policies. When protagonist Max finds his life getting worse, he has no choice but to embark on a life-saving mission that could bring equality to these polarized worlds.
- Director
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Neill Blomkamp
- Release date
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August 9, 2013
- Execution time
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109 minutes
- Budget
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US$115 million