Matt Damon Lives Every Man’s Dream In This Cult-Classic Sports Film Streaming For Free
Matt Damon bets in high-stakes poker in Rounders, streaming for free on Pluto TV.
Sure, you know him for the part he played both on-screen and behind the scenes in Good Will Hunting and his roles in the Bourne series as well as titles such as The Last Duel, True Grit, and even his cameo in Thor: Love and Thunder, but a lesser known Matt Damon movie is taking over Pluto TV where it’s now streaming. Starring alongside Fight Club and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery actor, Edward Norton, Damon lived the high life in 1998’s Rounders where high-stakes poker was the name of the game.
Helmed by Unforgettable and Joy Ride director, John Dahl, Rounders took the gambling game to new heights when two friends (Matt Damon and Edward Norton) come up with a get-rich-quick scheme that will see them pay off a tremendous amount of debt. With a skill for poker, the duo suits up and goes on a city-to-city tour of the biggest payoffs across the country.
Along with Matt Damon and Edward Norton, Rounders also starred a dynamite cast that included Famke Janssen, John Malkovich, John Turturro, Michael Rispoli, Murphy Guyer, Martin Landau, Gretchen Mol, and Melina Kanakaredes. Not an immediate hit at the box office or among critics, the feature would bring in $22.9 million against its production budget of $12 million.
While the Matt Damon-led movie may not have had the immediate payoff that the leading characters were so desperate for, the film would go on to be a cult sensation. Only a few years ahead of its time, Rounders came out shortly before the big poker boom of 2000. In fact, the title could absolutely be named as a reason that between 2003 and 2006 the sport became a worldwide sensation with people around the globe bluffing and hoping to play their cards right.
Since then, the poker boom may have died down, but Matt Damon’s career has only continued to skyrocket. 1998 was a terrific year for the Chasing Amy star as not only was he riding high following the success of his Good Will Hunting, but he also starred in Rounders and Saving Private Ryan, the latter of which would prove to be another career-making project for him. Along with his best bud, Ben Affleck, Damon would go on to more collaborations with Kevin Smith in productions like Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
Outside of the View Askewniverse, Matt Damon has a multitude of celebrated credits under his belt with his name on call sheets including The Talented Mr. Ripley, Ocean’s Eleven, The Departed, Air, and many more. Outside of Rounders, the performer and Massachusetts native has shared his love for the sports world in films such as Invictus, Field of Dreams (one of his earliest titles), Ford v. Ferrari, and The Legend of Bagger Vance just to name a few.
Coming off the success of his and Ben Affleck’s sports film, Air, audiences will next catch Matt Damon in his latest team-up with Academy Award-nominated director Christopher Nolan in his historical drama, Oppenheimer, which drops in theaters this July. This year will also see him appear in Ethan Coen’s road-comedy Drive-Away Dolls alongside a stacked cast that includes Margaret Qualley, Pedro Pascal, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp, and Geraldine Viswanathan.
Setting himself up for success (and more paychecks), Matt Damon already has a slew of projects lined up for the next few years. Working alongside John Krasinski on his fantasy comedy film, IF, Damon will star in the A-list film with the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Steve Carell, Emily Blunt, Maya Rudolph, Awkwafina, Jon Stewart, and Vince Vaughn. A film about imaginary friends and the little girl who dreamt them up, many of the celebs won’t be seen in person but will instead be voicing the girl’s unseen pals.
Finally, Matt Damon is teaming up with Casey Affleck in the latter’s Apple TV+ project, a heist thriller directed by Doug Liman titled, The Instigators. After that, and currently in filming, is the project, Unstoppable, which he’ll be producing alongside Ben Affleck and will star the latter’s wife, Jennifer Lopez.
While you patiently wait for all of his upcoming appearances, be sure to check out Matt Damon in Rounders now streaming on Pluto TV.
