With approximately 40 years in showbiz under his belt, it’s safe to sayBen Affleckis a bonafide household name. Over these last few decades, Affleck has left an indelible mark on the world of movies, with his resumé boasting some high-profile credits as well as some big ol' flops (lookin' at you,Gigli,Daredevil, andSurviving Christmas). Through the highs and the lows, Affleck has proven himself to be a skilled actor, director, writer, and producer. He’s worked in a variety of genres, although he excels in both dramas and action movies. He’s a fairly skilled comedic presence, always down to poke fun at his celebrity status when need be. He is also getting more and more candid about his personal life as the years while also going deep about his past career choices, making him one of the more fascinating celebrities to track as he ages into a new, more mature chapter in his career.
With 73 acting credits, 23 producer credits, eight director credits, and six writing credits to his name, Affleck has built up on hell of a resumé. At such, it seems like it’s about dang time we round up some of the best movies he’s worn the hat of actor, director, writer, producer, or, in some cases, more than one hat. There will be some surprises as to the ranking and maybe some intrigue aroused over the reasoning behind those rankings, but it’s safe to say you will not be disappointed by which of Affleck’s movies are considered (in this writer’s opinion) to be some of his best yet.
Keep scrolling to see which Affleck movies have been tapped as the best of ‘em all and how they rank. For more, check out thisspicy ranking of Brad Pitt’s best movies.
11. Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Affleck may not be a leading man inShakespeare in Lovebut he’s certainly the biggest scene-stealer in this 1998 Oscar-winning picture. Even as Elizabethan actor Ned Alleyn, Affleck manages to suffuse his performance with the kind of bro-tastic energy which has become central to his onscreen persona. He also manages to significantly liven things up whenever he appears in thisJohn Madden-directed,Joseph FiennesandGwyneth Paltrow-starring story which follows playwright William Shakespeare’s attempts to get his career off the ground with a new play,Romeo & Juliet.
There’s a good reasonShakespeare in Lovepicked up so many Oscars, including one for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench), and Best Actress (Paltrow). This is a movie which infuses its somewhat alternative history with crackling dialogue and some truly great performances. In the pantheon of Affleck pics, however, it doesn’t rank as high if only because he’s criminally underused (which is unfortunate considering the late ’90s is a Peak Affleck Period).Shakespeare in Loveis still a great example of Affleck’s power to leave one hell of an impression, even with a small amount of screentime.
10. The Town (2010)
Affleck’s second crack at directing a feature-length film comes in the form of 2010’sThe Town. As one-third of Boston’s Holy Trinity of Bros (I’m looking at you,Matt DamonandMark Wahlberg), it’s only natural Affleck would return to familiar territory for his second directorial project.The Towncomes just three years after Affleck’s acclaimed feature-length directorial debutGone Baby Gone. It tackles familiar motifs with familiar characters woven in as we follow this crime drama of a group of childhood friends try to pull off one of their biggest bank heists yet as it unfolds amidst tougher, blue-collar folks living in and around the Massachusetts capital.
The Townsees Affleck balancing the duties of lead and director, something he pulls off even better inArgoand not so well inLive By Night. As far as tense crime dramas go, it’s good Affleck is leading the way withJeremy Renneron stand-by as his second-in-command. Affleck does well when there is a strong central partnership where he functions as one-half of that duo, so of course his performance — and the movie overall — is better for having this Affleck-Renner partnership anchor the movie.
9. The Accountant (2016)
2016’sThe Accountantmarks the first of two collaborations between Affleck and directorGavin O’Connor. For my money,The Accountantis a surprisingly taut, tense, and intriguing drama but doesn’t quite reach the level of greatness as the second and most recent collab,The Way Back.There are about a thousand and one ways Affleck’s portrayal of a man on the autism spectrum working as an accountant by day and a book-cooker for the mafia by night could have gone wrong since the actor is both neurotypical and not a book-cooker. Thankfully, Affleck opted for a grounded approach to his character, Christian Wolff, which is miles ahead of, say,Dustin Hoffman’s now-problematic performance inRain Man, while also intelligently and compassionately depicting Christian’s environmental sensitivities. By making this smart performance choice, Affleck is able to tackle a character he’s never played before existing in a world he’s plenty comfortable with thanks to previous roles. Under O’Connor’s deft direction,The Accountantmanages to be both watchable and fresh, small in its scope and hearkening back to the kind of crime thrillers which had a heyday back in the ’70s.
8. The Way Back (2020)
Affleck’s most recent role (at time of publication) as a washed-up former high school basketball working his way back from the rock-bottom depths of alcoholism inThe Way Backis also one of his strongest. Considering the autobiographical ties to playing an alcoholic in recovery — an aspect of his lifehe was quite candid aboutin the run up toThe Way Back’s release — Affleck turns in one of his strongest performances in recent memory. The creative comfort with O’Connor is present inThe Way Back, making this movie a compelling watch as the two personalities work together to bring this story to life. It’s also clear while watchingThe Way Backthat we’ll soon be talking about this movie as the beginning of a new chapter in Affleck’s career, one which may potentially kick off a renaissance period following stormier times.
7. Chasing Amy (1997)
Writer/director/producerKevin Smithis second only toMatt Damonwhen it comes to iconic Affleck collaborators. Following their work together on 1996’sMallrats, Smith gave Affleck the lead oppositeJoey Lauren AdamsinChasingAmy. Affleck plays Holden, a New Jersey comic book artist who falls for his friend, Alyssa (Adams), who is both a comic book artist and a lesbian. The premise ofChasing Amyhasn’t aged well, in my opinion, with the general message of the movie essentially implying if a man professes his love loudly enough, even a queer woman will relent and date him. However, Smith’s script (his writing is always one of the stronger aspects of his features, TBH) offers a lot of room for Affleck to test his leading man abilities in what is an early starring role. In this department, Affleck takes to Smith’s writing like a duck to water as he reels you in during someof the most emotional scenesof the movie.
6. Dazed and Confused (1993)
At this point in his career, it’s practically a well-documented fact Affleck exudes big bro energy. Perhaps the best and earliest showcase for these bro-tastic was in writer/directorRichard Linklater’sDazed and Confused, where Affleck plays Texas high school senior Fred O’Bannion. O’Bannion is basically there to haze the incoming freshman during their last day as eighth graders and is seen skulking about town carry a paddle with “FAH-Q” emblazoned on it but damn if he’s not having the time of his life. The arc is relatively brief in the smorgasbord of plots which make up the movie, but Affleck makes a meal out of his smaller role (incidentally,Dazed and Confusedalso reveals Affleck to be a great supporting cast member as well as a leading man).
5. Argo (2012)
Affleck’s third feature in the director’s chair, 2012’sArgo, also happens to be his best yet. The actor takes the lead in this “based on a true story” tale ofTony Mendez, a CIA agent who launches an operation to extract six Americans from Tehran by posing as the film crew for a sci-fi movie. In the wake of his work as a director on the similarly acclaimedGone Baby Gone, Affleck is firing on all cylinder as he brings to life this political thriller. Every choice made, from the direction on the performances to the way in which the some of the most tense moments play out, allow for Affleck’s voice as a director and actor to shine.Argowas egregiously overlooked for a Best Director nom for Affleck when the Oscars came a-calling. But, it did scoop up Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay (forChris Terrio), and Best Film Editing, so it’s not all bad.
4. Dogma (1999)
Coming in at number four isDogma, which, for my money, is the second-best Affleck-Damon pairing but Affleck’s best collaboration with Kevin Smith (sorry,Jersey Girl). Seriously, what’s not to love about Affleck and Damon as fallen angels Bartleby and Loki, respectively, who come to Earth to literally raise hell? Furthermore, what’s not to love about ’90s queenLinda Fiorentinoplaying protagonist heroine Bethany, who must recruit the help of Jay (Jason Mewes), Silent Bob (Smith), the angel Metatron (Alan Rickman), and Jesus’ childhood friend Rufus (Chris Rock) to take Bartleby and Loki down? Affleck and Damon are doing the Boston bros proud in this one as they go from town to town,stirring the pot with their anticsand reveling in every minute of it.
3. Armageddon (1998)
Michael Bay’sArmageddonis arguably the best in showcasing Affleck as a heroic Hollywood heartthrob, one of a few character types Affleck gets comfortable playing over the years.Armageddonisn’t just one of Affleck’s best movies, it’s also one of Bay’s best, too, even if it does make the aesthetic choices he, as a director, will become infamous for in the years following this movie.Armageddonis a solid action movie withBruce Willisat the helm at oil rig operator Harry Stamper and Affleck as his protégé, A.J., who has to prove himself to Harry while he and their team train to destroy as asteroid headed toward Earth (can you believe I just wrote that sentence? Because I can’t). Affleck does exactly what the role requires, performing idealized masculinity with all of the cockiness and handsomeness needed to make A.J. worthy of our emotional investment. And while there are no great epiphanies or grander messages to be made about Affleck’s performance, he is at his best as this specific character type inArmageddon, which lays the groundwork for similar performances in future projects.
2. Good Will Hunting (1997)
It’s been a little over 20 years sinceGood Will Huntingwas released but it’s still aging well. This feature represents a win for Affleck on a number of fronts and is one of the big highlight in his career. As Chuckie, longtime best friend to protagonist Will Hunting (played by Affleck’s actual best friend, Matt Damon), Affleck perfectly plays another character type he’ll go on to become known for: the working class wise guy with a heart of gold. Chuckie makes the most of his time in the story and it’s great to see Affleck and Damon memorialize their camaraderie for the first of many times onscreen. But Affleck also has a co-screenwriting credit onGood Will Huntingand the Oscar statue in hand to prove he’s also a keen screenwriter capable of making great art in more than one way.Good Will Huntingwas a calling card for Affleck, a way for him to announce himself as a serious artist. While that “serious artist” bit has more or less remained intact over the years depending on which of his movies you watch, it’s hard to denyGood Will Huntingis a strong proving ground and major turning point for Affleck.
