The Top 5 Boston Movies

With it being the dog days of summer for sports, here’s my list of the top 5 Boston movies. Like all of my lists, this is my personal opinion. If you disagree, be civil and write your comments down below. Here are some honorable mentions before I get to the top 5.

Honorable Mentions: Ted, Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone

5 The Fighter (2010)- Based off of a true story, this sports drama is about Lowell boxer Micky Ward and his journey to become a champion. Mark Wahlberg is great in the lead as Micky but Christian Bale stole the show playing Micky’s drug-addicted older brother Dicky Ward.

4 Spotlight (2015)- Another Boston biographical drama, Spotlight may be the most important film on this list. This film tells the story of the Spotlight team of the Boston Globe that investigated the Roman Catholic child abuse scandal. The cast, which included Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, and Mark Ruffalo, were all on the top of their game as the film won Best Picture at the Oscars.

3 The Town (2010)- Directed by and starring Boston legend Ben Affleck, The Town is one of the best crime thrillers to come out in recent memory. The film is about a crime group from Charlestown as they try to get one final score. The ending action scene at Fenway Park has to be one of my favorite scenes in a movie ever.

2 The Departed (2006)- Directed by Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese, The Departed is widely considered one of the best movies of the 21st Century. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg; The Departed was an awards darling as it won both Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscars.

1 Good Will Hunting (1997)- It was the film that put childhood friends and Cambridge natives Matt Damon and Ben Affleck on the map. Written by and starring both Damon and Affleck, Good Will Hunting is one of my favorite movies of all-time. It’s a beautiful film that touches on the power of friendship and love. While Damon and Affleck are amazing, the standout has to be Robin Williams. Williams gives the best performance of his career as he took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. If you need a movie with a lot heart, it doesn’t get better than this.

Steven Santoro (SVS_1993)