(Photo by Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection)
All Ben Affleck Movies Ranked
Ben Affleck chose the right friends early on: His first notable appearance was in 1992’s School Ties, which happened to co-star Matt Damon. The two would go on to become household names after co-writing and co-starring in the Oscar-winning Good Will Hunting. And a few years after School Ties, Affleck starred in Kevin Smith’s Chasing Amy, and is now a regular fixture in Smith’s View Askewniverse. Damon, Smith, and Affleck would all work together in 1999’s iconoclastic Dogma.
Later on in his career, Affleck would pal around with Michael Bay, creating two bombastic feasts together: Armageddon and Pearl Harbor. He’s worked with some of the most legendary directors of their time, like John Woo (Paycheck), John Frankenhemier (Reindeer Games), Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused), and David Fincher (Gone Girl) — experiences we’re sure all went into Affleck’s own directing career, which culminated in the Best Picture-winning Argo.
Affleck’s recent stint in the DCEU has left his image relatively unscathed: His Batman was considered among the best things out of Batman v Superman and Justice League. And after some highly public personal issues and with his last directorial effort, Live By Night, a Rotten bomb, Affleck’s now on something of a comeback trail for 2020. The Last Thing He Wanted‘s single-digit Tomatometer was probably the last thing Affleck wanted at this point. But his 2020 sports drama The Way Back transcended the inspirational sports template, giving him a meaty role to sink his teeth into, and it impressed critics along the way. Recently, he’s been in Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, George Clooney’s The Tender Bar, and Deep Water, which makes it onto our list of the 100 sexiest movies, and Air. Until then, we’re ranking all Ben Affleck movies by Tomatometer! —Alex Vo
#1
Adjusted Score: 103013%
Critics Consensus: It follows a predictable narrative arc, but Good Will Hunting adds enough quirks to the journey -- and is loaded with enough powerful performances -- that it remains an entertaining, emotionally rich drama.
Synopsis: Will Hunting (Matt Damon) has a genius-level IQ but chooses to work as a janitor at MIT. When he solves...
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#2
Adjusted Score: 113759%
Critics Consensus: Tense, exciting, and often darkly comic, Argo recreates a historical event with vivid attention to detail and finely wrought characters.
Synopsis: On Nov. 4, 1979, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, taking 66 American hostages. Amid the chaos, six...
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#3
Adjusted Score: 101629%
Critics Consensus: Tense, smartly written, and wonderfully cast, The Town proves that Ben Affleck has rediscovered his muse -- and that he's a director to be reckoned with.
Synopsis: Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) leads a band of ruthless bank robbers and has no real attachments except for James (Jeremy...
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#4
Adjusted Score: 112643%
Critics Consensus: A fact-based drama that no one will dunk on, Air aims to dramatize events that changed the sports world forever -- and hits almost nothing but net.
Synopsis: From award-winning director Ben Affleck, AIR reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike's fledgling basketball...
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#5
Adjusted Score: 101221%
Critics Consensus: Endlessly witty, visually rapturous, and sweetly romantic, Shakespeare in Love is a delightful romantic comedy that succeeds on nearly every level.
Synopsis: "Shakespeare in Love" is a romantic comedy for the 1990s set in the 1590s. It imaginatively unfolds the witty, sexy...
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#6
Adjusted Score: 99631%
Critics Consensus: Featuring an excellent ensemble cast, a precise feel for the 1970s, and a killer soundtrack, Dazed and Confused is a funny, affectionate, and clear-eyed look at high school life.
Synopsis: This coming-of-age film follows the mayhem of group of rowdy teenagers in Austin, Texas, celebrating the last day of high...
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#7
Adjusted Score: 106473%
Critics Consensus: Dark, intelligent, and stylish to a fault, Gone Girl plays to director David Fincher's sick strengths while bringing the best out of stars Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.
Synopsis: In Carthage, Mo., former New York-based writer Nick Dunne and his glamorous wife Amy present a portrait of a blissful...
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#8
Adjusted Score: 92859%
Critics Consensus: Although Chasing Amy's depiction of queer sexuality is frustratingly clumsy, it handles an array of thorny themes with a mixture of sensitivity, raw honesty, and writer-director Kevin Smith's signature raunchy humor.
Synopsis: Holden and Banky are best friends and authors of a popular comic book. Holden falls in love with Alyssa, who...
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#9
Adjusted Score: 99957%
Critics Consensus: The Last Duel's critique of systemic misogyny isn't as effective as it might have been, but it remains a well-acted and thought-provoking drama infused with epic grandeur.
Synopsis: The Last Duel is a cinematic and thought-provoking drama set in the midst of the Hundred Years War that explores...
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#10
Adjusted Score: 92532%
Critics Consensus: A taut, well-acted political thriller, State of Play overcomes some unsubtle plot twists with an intelligent script and swift direction.
Synopsis: Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) is a rising star in Washington; handsome, unflappable and seemingly honorable, he's seen as his...
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#11
Adjusted Score: 97315%
Critics Consensus: The Way Back's occasionally frustrating treatment of a formulaic story is often outweighed by Ben Affleck's outstanding work in the central role.
Synopsis: Jack Cunningham was a high school basketball superstar who suddenly walked away from the game for unknown reasons. Years later,...
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#12
Adjusted Score: 82031%
Critics Consensus: Though some may find its conclusion unsatisfying, Changing Lanes is a tense, well-crafted exploration of meaty ethical dilemmas.
Synopsis: A rush-hour fender-bender on New York City's crowded FDR Drive, under most circumstances, wouldn't set off a chain reaction that...
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#13
Adjusted Score: 25110%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Welcome to America's Heartland, home of hurricanes, tornadoes, heat waves... and Claude (Billy Bob Thornton) and Ruby (Laura Dern) Montgomery....
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#14
Adjusted Score: 86988%
Critics Consensus: Zack Snyder's Justice League lives up to its title with a sprawling cut that expands to fit the director's vision -- and should satisfy the fans who willed it into existence.
Synopsis: In ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE, determined to ensure Superman's (Henry Cavill) ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne (Ben...
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#15
Adjusted Score: 77840%
Critics Consensus: An outstanding cast and ambitious story help Triple Frontier overcome an uneven narrative -- and elevate the end result above a crowded field of grim and gritty heist thrillers.
Synopsis: Former Special Forces operatives reunite to plan a heist in a sparsely populated multi-border zone of South America. For the...
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#16
Adjusted Score: 75407%
Critics Consensus: More than a movie star murder mystery, Hollywoodland takes it slow in order to reveal the intriguing details of the rise and fall of superstar fame.
Synopsis: A detective (Adrien Brody) uncovers unexpected links to his own personal life as he probes the mysterious death of "Superman"...
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#17
Adjusted Score: 65773%
Critics Consensus: Its themes may feel overly familiar, but Going All the Way is set apart from other period coming-of-age films by the strength of its performances.
Synopsis: Korean War--era veterans and ex-classmates "Gunner" Casselman (Ben Affleck) and "Sonny" Burns (Jeremy Davies) reunite upon their return home. Gunner,...
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#18
Adjusted Score: 73508%
Critics Consensus: It might be hard for most viewers to identify with The Company Men's well-heeled protagonists, but writer/director John Wells uses their plight to make universally resonant points -- and gets the most out of his excellent cast.
Synopsis: A young executive at a shipping and manufacturing conglomerate, Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) is on the fast track to the...
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#19
Adjusted Score: 74430%
Critics Consensus: Provocative and audacious, Dogma is an uneven but thoughtful religious satire that's both respectful and irreverent.
Synopsis: Two fallen angels who were ejected from paradise find themselves banned in Wisconsin. They are now headed for New Jersey...
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#20
Adjusted Score: 69786%
Critics Consensus: Its ending is disappointingly tidy, but Boiler Room boasts just enough sharp writing and brisk pacing to make getting there worthwhile.
Synopsis: Welcome to the infamous "boiler room" -- where twenty something millionaires are made overnight. Here, in the inner sanctum of...
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#21
Adjusted Score: 68184%
Critics Consensus: Fan-focused to a fault, Jay & Silent Bob Reboot tries to mock the same audience nostalgia it's mining -- and pulls it off often enough to satisfy the faithful.
Synopsis: Jay and Silent Bob embark on a cross-country mission to stop Hollywood from filming a reboot based on them....
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#22
Adjusted Score: 69453%
Critics Consensus: Extract has some very funny moments and several fine performances, but the film feels slighter and more uneven than Mike Judge's previous work.
Synopsis: The owner of a factory that produces flavor extracts, Joel Reynold (Jason Bateman) seems to have it all, but really...
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#23
Adjusted Score: 64070%
Critics Consensus: Led by an A+ cast, the road to School Ties is paved with good intentions that are somewhat marred by the honorable yet heavy-handed message against intolerance.
Synopsis: When David Greene (Brendan Fraser) receives a football scholarship to a prestigious prep school in the 1950s, he feels pressure...
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#24
Adjusted Score: 61061%
Critics Consensus: Mallrats colorfully expands the View Askewniverse, even if its snootchie has lost a few of the bootchies boasted by its beloved predecessor.
Synopsis: T.S. (Jeremy London) and his best friend, Brodie (Jason Lee), take a trip to the mall after their girlfriends break...
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#25
Adjusted Score: 56971%
Critics Consensus: Critics say Bounce is more of a thud. Plot turns feel cliched and contrived, and the romance between Paltrow and Affleck fails to engage.
Synopsis: Buddy is fearlessly confident and wildly charming, his clients love him, and thanks to his good looks, so do woman....
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#26
Adjusted Score: 66642%
Critics Consensus: The Accountant writes off a committed performance from Ben Affleck, leaving viewers with a scattershot action thriller beset by an array of ill-advised deductions.
Synopsis: Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is a mathematics savant with more affinity for numbers than people. Using a small-town CPA office...
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#27
Adjusted Score: 57299%
Critics Consensus: Fans can expect a good laugh as the cast from Smith's previous films reunite for Jay and Silent Bob's last bow. The loose plotting and crude language may be too much for others though.
Synopsis: When Jay and Silent Bob learn that a Bluntman and Chronic movie is being made featuring their comic book counterparts,...
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#28
Adjusted Score: 60095%
Critics Consensus: It's well-acted and suffused with a warm nostalgic glow, but none of that is enough to overcome The Tender Bar's sleepy, sentimental noodling.
Synopsis: The Tender Bar tells the story of J.R. (Tye Sheridan), a fatherless boy growing up in the glow of a...
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#29
Adjusted Score: 55275%
Critics Consensus: To the Wonder demonstrates Terrence Malick's gift for beautiful images, but its narrative is overly somber and emotionally unsatisfying.
Synopsis: A man (Ben Affleck) reconnects with a childhood sweetheart (Rachel McAdams) after problems arise in his relationship with the Frenchwoman...
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#30
Adjusted Score: 48829%
Critics Consensus: A distinct lack of chemistry between Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock, coupled with a screwball sensibility that's a touch too screwy, scupper Forces of Nature's modest ambition to serve up romantic charm.
Synopsis: All Ben Holmes (Ben Affleck) wants to do is make it from New York to Savannah, Ga., in time for...
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#31
Adjusted Score: 51135%
Critics Consensus: While Ben Affleck fits the role and the story is sporadically interesting, Daredevil is ultimately a dull, brooding origin story that fails to bring anything new to the genre.
Synopsis: Attorney Matt Murdock (Ben Affleck) is blind, but his other four senses function with superhuman sharpness. By day, Murdock represents...
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#32
Adjusted Score: 47639%
Critics Consensus: A surprisingly conventional romantic comedy from Kevin Smith, Jersey Girl is warm but often overly sentimental.
Synopsis: Ollie Trinke (Ben Affleck) is young and at the top of his game as a music promoter. He is both...
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#33
Adjusted Score: 48509%
Critics Consensus: Despite the best efforts of a talented cast, He's Just Not That Into You devotes too little time to each of its protagonists, thus reducing them to stereotypes.
Synopsis: Baltimore-based friends and lovers, all in their 20s and 30s, try to navigate their way through the complexities of modern...
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#34
Adjusted Score: 62225%
Critics Consensus: Justice League leaps over a number of DC movies, but its single bound isn't enough to shed the murky aesthetic, thin characters, and chaotic action that continue to dog the franchise.
Synopsis: Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists newfound ally Diana Prince...
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#35
Adjusted Score: 37801%
Critics Consensus: Although Hypnotic isn't without glimmers of inspiration, the ultimate effect of this often clunky crime caper will be to leave you feeling rather sleepy.
Synopsis: Determined to find his missing daughter, Austin detective Danny Rourke finds himself spiraling down a rabbit hole investigating a series...
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#36
Adjusted Score: 54392%
Critics Consensus: Lovely to look at but about as intelligent as the asteroid that serves as the movie's antagonist, Armageddon slickly sums up the cinematic legacies of producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay.
Synopsis: When an asteroid threatens to collide with Earth, NASA honcho Dan Truman (Billy Bob Thornton) determines the only way to...
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#37
Adjusted Score: 14041%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Hollywood agent Jack Giamoro (Ben Affleck) has a ruthless dedication to his work and a tendency to neglect his wife,...
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#38
Adjusted Score: 47708%
Critics Consensus: Viewers desperately seeking a new erotic thriller might find Deep Water worth a dip, but it's far from director Adrian Lyne's best work.
Synopsis: Based on the celebrated novel by famed mystery writer Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley), "Deep Water" takes us inside...
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#39
Adjusted Score: 46125%
Critics Consensus: Live by Night boasts visual style and an impressive cast, but they're lost in a would-be crime saga that finds producer, director, and star Ben Affleck revisiting familiar themes to diminishing effect.
Synopsis: It's the Roaring `20s and Prohibition hasn't stopped the flow of booze in an underground network of gangster-run speakeasies. The...
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#40
Adjusted Score: 7751%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When Stanley met Diana, he hadn't been on a date in years. She was easily the most appealing woman he'd...
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#41
Adjusted Score: 37066%
Critics Consensus: A violent mess of a movie, Smokin' Aces has some Quentin Tarantino's style but not much of his wit or humor.
Synopsis: Sleazy entertainer Buddy "Aces" Israel (Jeremy Piven) incurs the wrath of crime boss Primo Sparazza when he agrees to testify...
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#42
Adjusted Score: 32658%
Critics Consensus: A clumsy and scattered comedy with a poorly executed script.
Synopsis: This ensemble comedy follows an array of young people in New York City on New Year's Eve. Among the numerous...
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#43
Adjusted Score: 50504%
Critics Consensus: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice smothers a potentially powerful story -- and some of America's most iconic superheroes -- in a grim whirlwind of effects-driven action.
Synopsis: It's been nearly two years since Superman's (Henry Cavill) colossal battle with Zod (Michael Shannon) devastated the city of Metropolis....
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#44
Adjusted Score: 32168%
Critics Consensus: Though Dick's short story has an intriguing premise, Woo reduces it to a lot of meaningless chases, shoot-outs, and explosions.
Synopsis: Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck) is a top-notch reverse engineer. Corporations pay him to crack the secrets of their competitors' products....
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#45
Adjusted Score: 28188%
Critics Consensus: Despite a decent cast, subpar acting and a contrived plot disappointed reviewers.
Synopsis: Just released from prison, all Rudy Duncan (Ben Affleck) wants is to start a new life with Ashley (Charlize Theron),...
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#46
Adjusted Score: 31134%
Critics Consensus: Pearl Harbor tries to be the Titanic of war movies, but it's just a tedious romance filled with laughably bad dialogue. The 40 minute action sequence is spectacular though.
Synopsis: This sweeping drama, based on real historical events, follows American boyhood friends Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) and Danny Walker (Josh...
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#47
Adjusted Score: 10242%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The resort town of Snowfield, Colo., is under attack by an evil spirit that almost wipes out the entire population,...
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#48
Adjusted Score: 11426%
Critics Consensus: Surviving Christmas is unpleasant characters attacking each other for 90 minutes before delivering a typical, hollow anti-consumerist message
Synopsis: A wealthy executive, Drew Latham (Ben Affleck) has no close relationships and becomes nostalgic for his childhood home as Christmas...
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#49
Adjusted Score: 13100%
Critics Consensus: It has an impressive cast and an intriguing premise, but Runner Runner wastes them on a bland, haphazardly assembled thriller with very little payoff.
Synopsis: Believing that he has been swindled, Princeton grad student Richie (Justin Timberlake) goes to Costa Rica to confront online-gambling tycoon...
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#50
Adjusted Score: 12409%
Critics Consensus: Bizarre and clumsily plotted, Gigli is a mess. As for its stars, Affleck and Lopez lack chemistry.
Synopsis: Gigli (Ben Affleck) is ordered to kidnap the psychologically challenged younger brother of a powerful federal prosecutor. When plans go...
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#51
Adjusted Score: 7468%
Critics Consensus: It'll be the last thing most viewers want, too.
Synopsis: When she helps her father broker an arms deal, a reporter becomes involved in the story she's trying to break....
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