After he cowrote the script for Good Will Hunting with longtime friend Matt Damon, actor Ben Affleck has added more well-known titles to his career and catalog. In addition to Good Will Hunting, Affleck won an Oscar for directing Argo (2012), in which he also starred.
The actor’s directing chops have expanded to projects like the recent film Air (2023), in which he portrays former Nike CEO Phil Knight. We’ve rounded up the best Ben Affleck movies, many of which also star Matt Damon.
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GOOD WILL HUNTING (1997)
Image Credit: Miramax/courtesy Everett Collection This poignant drama directed by Gus Van Sant marked a major turning point in Affleck’s career, establishing his reputation as that rare talent working at the highest levels on both sides of the camera, as he joined lifelong friend Matt Damon in accepting his first Oscar for Best Screenplay at age 25. Starring Damon as Will Hunting, a young janitor at MIT with a genius-level intellect who struggles with his troubled past and emotional barriers, the film also had Affleck pulling double duty as Will’s best friend, Chuckie Sullivan. Co-starring Robin Williams and Minnie Driver, the low-budget Miramax pic was a huge success in theaters at a worldwide gross exceeding $225M. Good Will Hunting is streaming on Max. – Matt Grobar
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REINDEER GAMES (2000)
Image Credit: Everett This is one of those weird non Christmas films that is set during Christmas that I always end up watching. You get great chemistry from a young Affleck and Charlize Theron, a great villain role form Gary Sinise and pretty awesome climax with that Holiday theme and you got a fun rewatch anytime of year. Reindeer Games is streaming on Paramount+. – Justin Kroll
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ARGO (2012)
Image Credit: Claire Folger/©Warner Bros. Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Affleck’s other Oscar-winng film is Argo (2012), based on the true story of how the CIA enlisted Canada’s help rescuing a group of American hostages from Iran. Affleck’s CIA Agent Tony Mendez pitches the idea to get the hostages out of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 by going in disguised as a Hollywood producer scouting a location for the fake “Argo” film. Affleck also directed the suspenseful story, which stars Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Scoot McNairy, Alan Arkin, Clea DuVall and more. Argo is not currently streaming, but it is available for rent on Apple TV+ and Prime Video. – Dessi Gomez
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HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU (2009)
Image Credit: New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett Collection Affleck appears as Neil in one of the great ensemble romantic comedies that stars some more famous faces like Ginnifer Goodwin, Justin Long, Kevin Connolly, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Connelly, Drew Barrymore and even Busy Philipps for a cameo. His character saves the day at the end of the film when Neil’s love interest Beth (Jennifer Aniston)’s father has a heart attack at her sister’s wedding and he quietly supports them through it, proving that he’s husband material. He’s Just Not That Into You isn’t currently streaming anywhere, but it is available for rent on Apple TV+. – Dessi Gomez
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GONE GIRL (2014)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Based on Gillian Flynn’s best-selling novel and directed by David Fincher, Affleck plays Nick Dunne, a man under suspition of killing his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) when she mysteriously disappears. His performance begs toes the line between innocent and guilty as clues unfold what really happened. Gone Girl is streaming on Fubo TV and MGM+. – Dessi Gomez
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THE WAY BACK (2020)
Image Credit: Everett Collection Affleck is at his most emotionally affecting in this inspirational sports drama from Warner Bros, drawing on his experiences with alcoholism to inform his performance as Jack Cunningham, a former high school basketball star turned alcoholic, who is given a chance at redemption when he’s asked to coach his alma mater’s struggling team. While the film’s release was hampered by the Covid pandemic, hitting theaters just before the U.S. shut down, critics praised Affleck’s performance as one of the best of his career. Gavin O’Connor directed from a script by Mare of Easttown’s Brad Ingelsby, with Affleck among the producers. The Way Back is not currently streaming, but it is available to rent on Apple TV+ and Prime Video. – Matt Grobar
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AIR (2023)
Image Credit: Prime Video Might not be as popular as The Town or Argo but I’ve always thought it’s Affleck’s best film for him as a director and his performance as Nike founder Phil Knight is pretty great. Add in there an uplifting story about how Nike landed Michael Jordan as a client and a great Matt Damon performance too and you have the ideal uplifting drama. Air is streaming on Prime Video. – Justin Kroll
