10 Amazing Ben Affleck Movies Worth Your Time

Ben Affleck has been a notable movie star for decades – and for good reason. In that time, he’s tried a bit of everything.

He started his career with memorable roles in famous American independent films, before morphing into a romantic comedy lead.

Yet at the same time he was doing rom-coms, he was also establishing himself as an action thriller star, which is a very different side of the coin.

As you can tell, versatility was the name of the game for Affleck, as well as simply being a very likable screen presence. That always helps!

In more recent years, he’s almost reinvented himself as a sort of quietly grizzled character actor. Yet, again, at the same time he’s been doing exactly the opposite – playing Batman in the DCEU’s action superhero movies.

Clearly, Ben Affleck is an actor who likes to do it all – and often do it all at the same time. This is why there are plenty of great Ben Affleck movies that are worth seeing, and we’ve got a list of the best below.

Read on to find out 10 amazing Ben Affleck movies that are well worth your time.

10. Paycheck (2003)

This is an underseen action gem from famous director John Woo, who did “Face/Off” (1997). It’s actually a blend of action and science fiction, which is always a reliable mix, with plenty of thrilling spectacle based around exciting futuristic concepts.

Better yet, it’s based on a story by Philip K. Deck – that’s right, the author whose stories inspired “Blade Runner” and “Minority Report”.

The story focuses on Michael (Affleck), a reverse engineer who is suffering from amnesia. Worse still, he’s being chased by the police for murder and treason. But is he guilty? He’s going to have to remember his past, and fast.

Amnesiacs being chased by the law is always a genre of movie that’s going to work, and this action film is no different.

When you have a reliable action star presence like Ben Affleck in the lead, that just makes it even more successful. It’s a fun, action-packed time with a top cast and a top director.

9. Chasing Amy (1997)

American independent director Kevin Smith (famous for “Clerks” and playing his legendary character Silent Bob) helped begin Ben Affleck’s career, with Affleck starring in a variety of his early films.

In fact, Affleck still makes cameos in Smith’s most recent films as a sign of their long history and respect for each other!

In 1997, Kevin Smith wrote and directed this funny, sweet romantic comedy named “Chasing Amy”. It’s all about two best friends, Holden (Affleck) and Banky (Jason Lee).

They both make popular comic books together, and have a good friendship. However, Holden soon falls in love with a lesbian named Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams). As if this wasn’t difficult enough, it also affects his friendship with Banky.

It’s a romantic film with a fairly unique premise, especially for the time it was made.

There are plenty of twists that I won’t spoil, but there’s an incredible scene featuring this complicated triangle of people towards the end that hasn’t left my mind in all the years since I saw the film!

It’s well worth checking out, and Affleck is as likable as ever, excelling at both romance and comedy.

8. Armageddon (1998)

This is a famous, epic-scale action film from one of the most notorious action directors there is: Michael Bay.

Ben Affleck co-stars with Bruce Willis, leading an all-star action cast. The film is about a gang of deep-core oil drillers who have to be trained by NASA in order to stop an asteroid that’s going to collide with Earth, destroying everything.

Can these regular blue-collar workers learn the NASA ropes and save the world just in time?

It’s an exciting premise in a film that’s got plenty of bombastic action and spectacle, as well as a fair dose of sweet romance and funny humor. Affleck would later reunite with Bay for another film, “Pearl Harbor” (2001) – also worth checking out.

7. State Of Play (2009)

This political mystery movie is an engrossing watch, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes.

Based on a TV series of the same name, Affleck plays a U.S. Congressman whose aide is mysteriously killed. It soon emerges that she was more than his aide, and there’s an entire web of murderous motives and political corruption to unravel.

The film focuses on a team of investigative newspaper journalists (Russell Crowe and Rachel McAdams) trying to uncover the truth.

Affleck is terrific in this role, because he manages to be very sympathetic and likable, all while we’re constantly wondering whether we can trust him or not.

It’s a twisty performance of a complicated character, making this exciting movie well worth watching.

6. Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)

You know what you’re getting: it’s Batman v Superman!

When Bruce Wayne/Batman (Affleck) sees Superman as a threat, he decides to defeat him. It’s the famous showdown of two of the most beloved superhero characters of all time, so you can be certain that there’s going to be loads of action.

If you like superheroes (and who doesn’t?), you’ll love this Affleck action movie.

5. The Accountant (2016)

It may not have the most thrilling title, but this action thriller is an exhilarating watch!

It’s all about an accountant (played by Affleck) who does work for a bunch of illegal companies, twisting their financial records and saving them money.

When it looks like the FBI is going to learn the truth, he begins accounting for a real, legitimate company in order to throw them off.

Affleck gets to balance his action thriller chops with sequences of pretending to be an everyday accountant in order to fool the feds, creating an exciting and varied performance that’s essential viewing.

4. Deep Water (2022)

This psychological thriller from director Adrian Lyne, the king of exciting and erotic dramas, is an enormous amount of fun.

Affleck plays Vic, a former drone designer who now spends his days quietly. He’s married to Melinda (the great Ana de Armas), who likes to show off her extramarital affairs to him, flouting her friendships with other, younger men.

When one of those lovers disappears, nobody is sure whether Vic has anything to do with it…

It’s a fun thriller about a complex, dangerous relationship. Affleck is extremely entertaining as the exasperated husband, who even has a hobby of looking after pet snails. Yes, you read that right!

3. Dogma (1999)

Another hit from director Kevin Smith, Dogma is a brilliant reunion between Ben Affleck and Matt Damon (who we’ll cover later in this list).

In this film, they play two angels who were kicked out of heaven, now having to live on Earth. However, they find a loophole to get them into heaven – only it’ll destroy all humankind. As a result, a group of people try to stop them.

It’s a very funny film with a fantasy twist, which takes a tongue in cheek approach to religion with these two trouble-causing, rude fallen angels.

2. Gone Girl (2014)

This famous blend of exciting thriller and perplexing mystery was adapted from the beloved book of the same name, which was a literary sensation in itself.

The movie certainly got the same quality treatment, being directed by the great David Fincher (“Fight Club”, “Se7en”, and so many more!). On top of that, it had a terrific cast.

Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, an everyday husband whose wife, Amy (the powerful Rosamund Pike), goes missing on their fifth wedding anniversary.

As a result, Nick is thrown under the media spotlight, many of whom look at him like he is responsible for the disappearance. Is he? Did he kill her? Is he innocent?

There are plenty of questions and twists to enjoy through the epic 2.5 hour runtime. Even more impressively, the tension and mystery never lets up across that entire lengthy period.

The answers might not be what you expect, and the film weaves plenty of flashbacks and structural twists to unveil a portrait of a very complex marriage.

1. Good Will Hunting (1997)

This is the movie that made Ben Affleck’s name, as well as Matt Damon’s. Over twenty years later, they’re still powerhouses of cinema, so we can all be thankful for this! On top of that, they wrote this hit drama together too.

Damon is Will, a math genius who needs help from a psychiatrist (Robin William), while also having ups and downs with his friend Chuckie (Damon). It’s a tender, sweet film with plenty of heart and emotion.

Final Thoughts

Ben Affleck has made many great movies, showcasing his versatility as an actor. Whether it’s comedies, thrillers, or superhero movies – there’s something for everyone.

You can use our guide above to find out the best Ben Affleck movies that are worth your time watching.

Enjoy!

If you liked this article, you might enjoy our post on ‘10 Amazing Ben Stiller Movies Worth Your Time‘.

Max Roberts