5 Best Ben Affleck Movies

These 5 best Ben Affleck movies showcase his multiple talents: writing, directing, acting, having a chin that rivals Jay Leno’s in its prominence.  He’s come a long way since his humble beginnings in “The Dark End of the Street,” so let’s take a look at some of his best work.

1. “Gone Baby Gone.”  Affleck’s debut as a director was a remarkable success.  “Gone Baby Gone” is an intense, emotional film with lots of thematic elements in common with “Mystic River,” another movie based on a book by author Dennis Lehane.  Clint Eastwood had a bit more directorial experience when he helmed “Mystic River,” but Affleck proved himself every bit as competent in comparison.  Although he has acted in numerous films, it was his directing in this film that made it the best Ben Affleck movie.
2. “Good Will Hunting.”  Most people became familiar with Ben Affleck through his work with Matt Damon on the script for the award-winning “Good Will Hunting.”  He was smart enough to take a secondary role in the movie as well so when people saw him later they would say, “Oh yeah, that guy.”  With this film, he went from being one of director Kevin Smith’s regulars to having a distinct career of his own.
3. “Dazed and Confused.”  Richard Linklater’s breakthrough movie as a director was also one of Ben Affleck’s earliest successes as an actor.  Portraying a bully with a perverse obsession with paddling Freshman, Affleck proved that he could be quite unlikeable if he wanted to.  His next memorable role would be in Kevin Smith’s “Clerks” as a bully with a perverse obsession with sodomizing women.  Luckily, he has broadened his roles considerably since then.
4. “Hollywoodland.”  You can’t find much less of a bully than Superman (Elseworlds storylines notwithstanding).  While Affleck didn’t play Superman per se, he did play a guy who played Superman: television star George Reeves.  “Hollywoodland” was a stark look at the seamy underbelly of Hollywood, and one of the best Ben Affleck movies.
5. “Boiler Room.”  He may not have reached the heights of Alec Baldwin’s performance in “Glengarry Glen Ross” but Affleck portrayed a similarly sleazy character in “Boiler Room,” a movie with similar themes if not the same level of critical praise as “Glengarry.”  It was a solid film, though, and as far as Ben Affleck movies it was one of the best.  It was certainly a few notches above “Jersey Girl.”