15 Movies Like Good Will Hunting Fans Should Watch Next

"Good Will Hunting" is a sentimental film. This isn't a bad thing, and in fact, the sentiments it expresses still resonate more than 30 years later. Written by best friends Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, the film follows Will Hunting (Damon), a math genius working as a janitor for Harvard University. Forced to get treatment with a therapist after a violent outburst, Will's relationship with Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) changes the course of his life.

An earnest, emotional, ultimately feel-good story, "Good Will Hunting" achieves these qualities without becoming saccharine or clichéd. One of the most beloved films about mentorship and one of the greatest about therapy, "Good Will Hunting" doesn't reinvent the wheel, but represents the gold standard for what films like this can be.

At the same time, the film isn't peerless, and if you look hard enough, you can find examples of movies that deliver a similar sentiment or hit familiar narrative points. From stories about therapy and mental health, to tortured geniuses, to unexpected mentee/mentor relationships, you're bound to find something here that will move you. 

Here are 15 movies you should watch if "Good Will Hunting" is your jam.

The late and great Robert Redford, one of the greatest actors of all time, was more than just a pretty face. He was also a director, and his directorial debut was an Oscar-winning, box office smash. In "Ordinary People," we follow the Jarretts, a wealthy Illinois family dealing with the death of their teenage son, Buck. Conrad (Timothy Hutton), Buck's younger brother, attempts suicide following his death. Returning from a psychiatric hospital, Conrad struggles to deal with his guilt over Buck's death and tries to reconnect with his family.

Conrad's mother, Beth (Mary Tyler Moore in her greatest performance), has grown emotionally distant, refuses to acknowledge the loss, and seems angry at Conrad for surviving. His father, Calvin (Donald Sutherland), attempts to reckon with his own pain while trying to mend the relationship between mother and son. Thankfully, Conrad isn't alone in this, and he leans on his psychiatrist, Dr. Berger (Judd Hirsch), for support. A film centered on emotional journeys above all else, fans of "Good Will Hunting" will appreciate "Ordinary People" for its nuanced portrayal of trauma and mental health.

Though it won Best Picture in 2002, "A Beautiful Mind" isn't as revered today. In fact, according to Rotten Tomatoes, it's one of the worst-reviewed Best Picture winners. But that doesn't mean it deserves to be thrown out entirely. Indeed, while "A Beautiful Mind" is a sort of paint-by-numbers biopic in some ways, it also features excellent performances and a moving story that's hard to deny.

The similarities between "Good Will Hunting" and "A Beautiful Mind" are right there on the surface. Russell Crowe plays John Nash, a brilliant mathematician working in the 1940s. Following an appointment at MIT and his marriage to the lovely Alicia (Jennifer Connelly), things are looking up for Nash. However, when the government recruits Nash to decipher Soviet codes, the assignment takes a toll, and Nash's latent schizophrenia rears its head. The film introduces Nash as an unreliable narrator, and viewing the world through his eyes provides a unique perspective on his condition. Alicia's devotion to her husband offers insight into how mental illness affects the loved ones of those afflicted but also how important caregiving is.

"Good Will Hunting" wasn't the first autumn-coded, New England movie about mentoring young men that Robin Williams starred in. Several years prior, he played an inspiring English teacher in "Dead Poets Society," another film that highlights the importance of supportive mentor figures and the cost of family trauma. Williams plays John Keating, the new teacher at an all-boys prep school steeped in tradition and exacting standards. As Keating gets to know the boys, he helps them break free of the intense pressure they face, using poetry and theater to encourage them to express themselves.

One of Williams' best performances — it earned him his second Oscar nomination – and one of the greatest films about a teacher, "Dead Poets Society" hits all the right emotional notes and tells a moving story of art, identity, and unconditional support. The beloved film isn't overhyped, and indeed, its most famous scenes are just as good as you remember. "O Captain! My Captain!" still hits just as hard today as it did 30 years ago.

A sacred text for introverted teens everywhere, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" explores mental health and trauma through the lens of a high school coming-of-age film. Logan Lerman plays Charlie, a shy freshman who has struggled with depression for much of his life. He meets two seniors, Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson), who take him under their wing. Charlie learns a lot from his new friends, but there's still plenty he doesn't know about himself.

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" contains a tertiary mentor figure in the form of English teacher Mr. Anderson (Paul Rudd), but it's a movie as much about friendship as it is self-discovery. Charlie's new friends offer him their love and inspire him to be brave, though his emotional journey is ultimately an introspective one. While it may be too earnest for some, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" will pull at the heartstrings of anyone who remembers what it was like to be young and insecure and filled with hope.

In 2000, "Good Will Hunting" director Gus Van Sant returned with another film about the power of mentorship. In "Finding Forrester," Sean Connery plays William Forrester, a reclusive, formerly lauded novelist who never leaves his house. Forrester befriends Jamal (Rob Brown), a teenage basketball player who's also a brilliant writer. Though initially suspicious of Jamal, Forrester agrees to mentor the young man, who gets accepted into a prestigious private school.

It's not smooth sailing for either of them: Jamal's professors accuses him of plagiarism and Forrester struggles to get a handle on his agoraphobia and anxiety. Still, their friendship becomes a life-changing connection for them both as each learns important lessons from the other. Not as didactic as you might imagine, "Finding Forreseter" tackles real-world issues like racism and class privilege without relying too much on clichés. With an underrated performance from the legendary Connery, it's an inspiring story "Good Will Hunting" fans are primed to enjoy.

Sports movies represent some of the best inspirational, feel-good films Hollywood has to offer. In many cases, they often feature a powerful mentor figure a lá "Good Will Hunting," but on a larger scale. The 2005 film "Coach Carter," one of the best basketball movies, follows this classic pattern with a few key differences. Samuel L. Jackson plays the titular coach, who has returned to his alma mater to coach the high school basketball team. Though filled with talented players, the team lacks discipline and refuses to do their schoolwork.

Coach Carter lays down the law. He institutes new rules regarding academics, requiring players to do well in school in order to stay on the team. He also works on teamwork and conditioning, and the team goes undefeated in the regular season. However, Carter learns that some of the players are still failing their classes, and he locks the doors to the gym until they improve their academic standing. This controversial decision serves as the basis of the film, which is based on the real-life Coach Carter and his newsworthy tactics. Carter's focus on making the boys better people rather than great players distinguishes the film from others of its kind.

The 2006 film "Akeelah and the Bee" hits many of the same narrative points as "Good Will Hunting." We follow a gifted young person who hasn't been able to utilize their gift due to difficult circumstances. In both films, a mentor pushes them to achieve their full potential. A young Keke Palmer plays the titular character, an 11-year-old girl attending Crenshaw Middle School in Los Angeles. Though very bright, she often skips class, angering her principal. She decides to enter the school's spelling bee to prove her worth, and wins.

Laurence Fishburne plays Dr. Joshua Larabe, an English professor who believes Akeelah has what it takes to enter the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Though Dr. Larabe initially refuses to work with Akeelah due to her rude behavior, he eventually becomes her coach. Akeelah learns that most of her competitors come from privileged backgrounds with demanding parents, and her overwhelmed mother, Tanya (Angela Bassett), worries her dreams will be crushed. One of the most satisfying feel-good movies you can find, "Akeelah and the Bee" is led by an incredibly self-possessed performance from Palmer, and its inspirational story strikes a chord.

In her directorial debut, Alex Heller tells the story of a young woman struggling with mental health issues and learning how to be an adult. Heller also stars in the film as Clemence, a 20-year-old who drops out of college and moves back in with her family. A psychiatrist diagnoses her with bipolar disorder and prescribes her medication to manage her symptoms. Clemence's relationship with her family is often strained. Her father (Steve Buscemi) is overly optimistic. Her mother (J. Smith Cameron) wonders if Clemence's problems might be solved if she just started doing yoga. Her younger siblings don't know how to deal with her condition.

Despite the serious topics being discussed, Heller succeeds in balancing the darker parts of the story with a comedic tone. Yet the comedy doesn't detract from the verisimilitude of the story, and it only enhances it. Clemence uses humor as a defense mechanism, making the comedic moments illuminating and even sad, rather than simply goofy. Heller based the film on her own experiences with mental health, lending it a sense of authenticity, while her sharp writing gives it an edge.

2016's "Dear Zindagi" is a low-key film starring two of India's biggest stars. Directed by Gauri Shinde, the film follows Kaira (Alia Bhatt), a twentysomething aspiring cinematographer living in Mumbai. Though driven in her career, Kiara struggles in her personal life, especially when it comes to romance. After getting evicted from her apartment, Kiara is forced to move back to Goa and live with her parents, with whom she has a strained relationship.

Having a difficult time adjusting to her new circumstances, Kaira begins seeing a therapist, Dr. Jehangir "Jug" Khan (Shah Rukh Khan). Jug helps Kaira articulate her underlying fears and insecurities and confront the source of her inner turmoil. Through these sessions with Jug and an attempt to reconnect with her family, she opens herself up to the people around her, restoring her hope for the future. Though the film is simple and fairly un-dramatic, it's a comforting watch, and Khan and Bhatt are perfectly suited to their roles.

Sort of like an alternate universe version of "Good Will Hunting," "Antwone Fisher" is a powerful therapist/patient tale based on a true story. Denzel Washington's directorial debut — he would go on to direct three more feature films, including one produced by Oprah – follows the titular character (Derek Luke), a Navy sailor with anger management issues. After a series of violent outbursts, Antwone is forced to see naval psychiatrist Dr. Jerome Davenport (Washington). Though Antwone is an unwilling patient at first, he gradually begins to open up to Dr. Davenport.

We learn about Antwone's difficult childhood, which included a dead father, a mother he never knew, and an abusive foster family. His childhood continues to deeply affect him, and Dr. Davenport encourages Antwone to seek closure by seeking out his biological family. Meanwhile, he attempts to begin a relationship with a fellow sailor, Cheryl (Joy Bryant), while confronting his past and struggling to imagine a better future. Though it doesn't tread any new ground, Washington's typically powerful performance grounds the film in enough emotional truth to give this tearjerker some substance.

A holiday film for the melancholic set, "The Holdovers" doesn't tell the story of a mentor/mentee relationship, exactly, but rather a younger person and an older person who come together to teach each other a necessary lesson. Paul Giamatti plays Paul Hunham, a teacher at an all-boys boarding school in 1970s New England. Despised by students and teachers alike for his curmudgeonly, uptight attitude, Hunham is forced to stay at the school over the holidays to chaperone the students with nowhere to go.

When the rest of the students leave for a ski trip, Hunham's left with a single charge, Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), whose mother has flown to Saint Kitts without him. Though their relationship begins antagonistically, they learn to respect one another as they let their guards down. Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who won an Oscar for her performance, plays Mary, the head cook, who is also staying at school over the holidays because her son recently died in the Vietnam War. A thoughtful, moving film about loneliness and grief, "The Holdovers" would be a great addition to your rotation of cozy, cold-weather New England films.

It's difficult to deny the power of an inspirational true story, and "October Sky" remains a classic example. Jake Gyllenhaal, in his first starring role, plays Homer Hickman, the son of a West Virginia coal miner. Homer's father, John (Chris Cooper), wants his sons to follow in his footsteps, but they have other plans. Inspired by the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957, Homer decides to focus his energy on building rockets with the help of a few friends and a sympathetic teacher (Laura Dern).

Despite Homer and his friends' big dreams, their circumstances prove difficult to escape. Economic hardship, familial expectations, and the needs of their community thwart them at every turn. As in "Good Will Hunting," we follow the story of a young man with great potential who comes from a background that makes it difficult for him to realize his potential. A supportive adult figure (Laura Dern's teacher character) helps him on his journey, and we learn how class, socioeconomic inequality, and psychological patterns can shape a person's life.

Sometimes, an empathetic ear can change everything. In "Good Will Hunting," Sean's patience and compassion allow Will to break out of old patterns and radically change his life. In "Short Term 12," we follow the lives of mentors who spend their lives helping young people. Brie Larson plays Grace, a counselor at a short-term treatment facility for at-risk teens. Grace remains unflappable in the face of disorder, and uses her difficult adolescence as a way to connect with the teens in her care. When a resident named Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever) arrives at the facility, Grace struggles to maintain her composure, as Jayden reminds her of her own troubled youth.

"Short Term 12" teaches us about the power of empathy and care, and features a slew of great performances. Alongside a breakout performance from Larson, the film features the early work of LaKeith Stanfield, Rami Malek, John Gallagher Jr., and Stephanie Beatriz. Jayden and Grace develop a powerful relationship that illustrates that in order to help someone, you need to truly see them and treat them as your equal. As Will Hunting and the residents in "Short Term 12" learn, being seen for who you really are can make all the difference.

Like the better–known film "A Beautiful Mind," "The Man Who Knew Infinity" follows a math genius who experienced many difficulties in life. Dev Patel plays Srinivasa Ramanujan, a real-life mathematician. Living in Madras in the 1910s, Ramanujan attracts the attention of G. H. Hardy (Jeremy Irons), a professor at Cambridge. Hardy is amazed by Ramanujan's brilliance, but Ramanujan struggles to adjust to life in England, and his declining health and separation from his family take a toll.

"The Man Who Knew Infinity" relays an amazing true story that's well worth telling. Though a fairly conventional biopic, Patel elevates the material and gives Ramanujan a sense of heroic vulnerability that may have been less apparent on the page. Ramanujan was a man who contained greatness within him and, against all odds, was able to share that greatness with the world despite the systems working against him. Though "The Man Who Knew Infinity" may not have an ending as hopeful as "Good Will Hunting," both films look at excellence from a place of deep emotion.

Sort of a "Dead Poets Society" with girls, "Mona Lisa Smile" tells a tale we all know and love: that of a teacher who inspires their students through empathy and unconventional methods. In one of her best films, Julia Roberts plays Katherine Watson, an enterprising woman hired to teach art history at Wellesley College in 1953. Uninterested in toeing the party line, Katherine teaches her students to think independently and question the expectations that have been set for them. This rankles the administrators at the school, as well as the students who believe in adhering to tradition.

Roberts, who broke the record for the highest salary ever earned by an actress (at $25 million) for this film, brings her reliable charm and dogged spirit to the role, leading an ensemble of talented young women. The actresses playing her students include Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Ginnifer Goodwin. Though not exactly a fiery feminist manifesto, this quaint movie sends a heartwarming message and may give you the same warm fuzzies as "Good Will Hunting."