10 Underrated Ben Affleck Movies You Should Go Back and Watch

While Ben Affleck Career has had some incredible highs, it is also filled with underrated releases that deserve to be re-appreciated. Although some of Affleck’s underrated movies gained audience and critical acclaim at the time of release and even hit big at the box office, their lack of cultural relevance today means they have been largely forgotten by viewers at large. Other movies, while not entirely unknown, are absolutely fantastic and have only been recognized as such by movie connoisseurs who realize their status as underappreciated cinematic gems.

The best Affleck movies have a lasting effect on contemporary cinema, like his Oscar-winning Good luck hunting The screenplay, which he co-wrote and starred in alongside frequent collaborator Matt Damon, has become the stuff of Hollywood legend. However, other fantastic releases with notable directors like Ridley Scott or Kevin Smith have failed to register and receive the level of recognition they deserve. There were multiple reasons why these movies were so badly underrated, however Viewers should be sure to go back and watch all of these fantastic Ben Affleck movies.

10

Paycheck (2003)

Ben Affleck as Michael Jennings

Along with his roles in Gigli And Daredevil, Ben Affleck won a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor for his performance in Paycheck. While critics panned the John Woo action sci-fi film upon release, it didn’t deserve its lackluster reputation and stood as a solid adaptation of a Philip K. Dick short story. With a cast that also included Uma Thurman, Paul Giamatti and Michael C. Hall, looking back on the movie more than two decades later, it’s clearly underrated because its insightful science fiction story has just as much to offer as previous Woo classics like Face / away.

Affleck played Michael Jennings, a reserve engineer whose memory is erased after each job to protect his client’s intellectual property. However, one memory wipe left Jennings unaware of the past three years and sent him running for his life as he struggles to pick up the pieces of a vast conspiracy. With plenty of high-concept sci-fi fun, clever plotting and over-the-top action sequences, Paycheck was a solidly entertaining addition to both Affleck and Woo’s filmographies that deserves a much better reputation than it ever received.

9

Reindeer Games (2000)

Ben Affleck as Rudy Duncan

Reindeer games was the final feature film of director John Frankenheimer, whose reputation as a box office flop and disappointing action thriller followed it for almost a quarter of a century. However, with a stellar cast, witty dialogue and an enjoyable concept, Reindeer games was judged harshly and deserves to be re-appreciated by modern audiences. With a strong performance by Ben Affleck as ex-con Rudy Duncan, Gary Sinise and Charlize Theron also contribute to the film’s rarely-appreciated appeal.

The story of Rudy being dragged into a situation against his will where he must help thieves rob a casino or face being killed featured many twists and turns. While Reindeer games Was not without its flaws or well-worn clichésIt was also a solid thriller that showcased Affleck’s skills as a bona fide action movie star. Taken on its own merits as pulpy, action-packed entertainment, Reindeer games was a high-stakes heist filled with betrayal, deceit, and shocking twists.

8

Dogma (1999)

Ben Affleck as Bartleby

While fans of director Kevin Smith have long known the appeal of DogmaIt was very underrated by general audience. With Ben Affleck reuniting with Matt Damon just two years later Good luck huntingThe story of fallen angels trying to exploit a loop to gain access back to heaven was the most ambitious and creative work in Smith’s entire filmography. As an enjoyable satire of religion, Dogma was a provocative, though not shocking, decline of Christianity.

Affleck’s role as Bartleby alongside Damon as Loki proved the pair’s comedic skills Along with Smith’s dynamic duo of Jay and Silent Bob, stand-up legend Chris Rock, and singing sensation Alanis Morissette playing God himself. Dogma was a box office hit at the time of its release, earning $44 million against its $10 million budget (via The numbers), although rights issues related to Miramax’s former co-chairman and convicted abuser Harvey Weinstein meant it has long been unavailable on streaming. However, Smith has teased the re-release of dogma, Which will give viewers a chance to rewatch the underrated Affleck film.

7

Jersey Girl (2004)

Ben Affleck as Ollie Trinke

Jersey girl has always been the most divisive movie in Kevin Smith’s filmmaking careerAnd, alongside releases like Gigli And DaredevilIt was considered a low point for Ben Affleck. As a sentimental rom-com highlighting a widowed father looking out for his young daughter, this sweet film never earned the vitriolic criticism it endured, such as three Razzie Award nominations, one of which was worst actor for Ben Affleck. But look back Jersey girl Today, this terrible reception felt unjustified, because Smith’s first attempt at a movie set outside his Weissque universe was a compelling and emotional success.

Jersey girl was released right alongside the media’s obsession with ‘Bennifer’, the tabloid-given name of Affleck’s relationship with his then-girlfriend and future ex-wife Jennifer Lopez, who also appears in the film. However, some viewers were disappointed that Lopez’s character was killed off early in the film and felt the excitement of seeing Hollywood’s most notable couple on screen was not properly utilized. However, 20 years later, the audience should now revisit Jersey girl And enjoy this underrated movie on its own merits.

6

Changing Lanes (2002)

Ben Affleck as Gavin Banek

Changing lanes was an enjoyable action thriller with two main stars that did well at the box office, but rarely gets talked about among conversations surrounding the best movies of the 2000s. The vastly underrated Affleck movie gained much more recognition because its clever concept about a Wall Street lawyer crashing his car into a middle-aged, recovering alcoholic insurance salesman’s vehicle was a tense, well-crafted deconstruction of moral dilemmas. With Ben Affleck as the lawyer and Samuel L. Jackson as the collision victim, Changing lanes was a thematically rich film of real social relevance.

As the automobile accident escalated both men’s mutual road rage, Changing lanes grew ever more intense as their subsequent actions raised the stakes through a litany of immoral and illegal acts. Part of the reason that Changing lanes has remained so underrated that its offbeat concept was so unusual, although its unconventional nature also contributed to its idiosyncratic appeal. Changing lanes was a poignant and intelligent thriller that is worth revisiting.

5

Hollywoodland (2006)

Ben Affleck as George Reeves

Long before Ben Affleck became DC’s Caped Crusader in Batman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeHe portrays George Reeves, also the actor who starred in the Adventures of Superman TV series in the 1950s in Hollywoodland. The mystery drama tells a fictionalized story based around the death of Reeves, whose death by gunshot at age 45 remains controversial and started what is known as the Superman Curse. As an intricate and fascinating account of a Hollywood star’s rise and fall, Hollywoodland has a lot to say about the capricious nature of celebrities and those who are doomed to endure it.

Affleck’s performance in Hollywoodland Earned widespread acclaim, but was snubbed for a deserved Academy Award nomination, and the film has failed to gain widespread recognition in the years since its release. But, for those who know, Hollywoodland was a captivating film that also featured Adrien Brody trying to uncover the mystery of the star’s early death. While unanswered questions about exactly what happened to the actual raves continue to persist, Hollywoodland was a clever neo-noir look behind the curtain of fame during this era.

4

Live by Night (2016)

Ben Affleck as Joe Coughlin

Ben Affleck’s track record as a director has been much stronger than his acting career, as his first three movies, gone baby gone, the cityAnd ArgoAll became modern classics, with the latter even winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Unfortunately, Affleck’s fourth Direction film, which he also starred in, failed to make a big impact because it was severely underrated. As the story of an ambitious bootlegger turned notorious gangster in Prohibition-era Florida, Live by night was a truly compelling and modern movie.

With Boston-bred gangsters facing off against the Klu Klux Klan, Live by night Strongly addressed issues of racismReligion, and mob mentalities, with the lesson is that people’s actions always come back to haunt them in the end. While it is true that Live by night Felt rushed at times, and Affleck likely overwhelmed from juggling several projects at once, including portraying Batman, this was still a solidly entertaining crime drama. Although it did not live up to its full potential, Live by night Has a lot to offer.

3

The Accountant (2016)

Ben Affleck as Christian Wolff

The accountant received mixed reviews as some critics dismissed it as Ben Affleck joining the litany of A-list stars trying to cash in on action franchises, à la Liam Neeson in Taken Or Denzel Washington’s The equalizer (via Collider.) However, this underrated Affleck film should not be easily cast aside, as its tough action premise and autistic protagonist meant The accountant There was more than meets the eye. Although the characterization may have come across as offensive, Affleck gave everything to the material, and it was refreshing to see that his part was not completely reduced to his neurodivergence.

Ben Affleck played Christian Wolff, a genius autistic accountant who prepares financial books for the world’s most dangerous criminals. As an intelligent and entertaining thriller, The accountant The action is turned up to eleven because Wolf not only has the smarts needed to outwit his opponentsBut his childhood training from his merciless military father meant he was comfortable with conflict, killing and causing carnage. The accountant was highly underrated when it was first released, but luckily, critics have a chance to redeem themselves with the impending release of The accountant 2 in 2025.

2

The Last Duel (2021)

Ben Affleck as Count Pierre d’Alençon

Despite being director Ridley Scott’s most accomplished film in years, The Last Duel Didn’t get the recognition it deserved and sadly fell by the wayside in terms of cultural influence. As a well-written, thought-provoking and timely deconstruction of systemic misogyny, The Last Duel Addressing modern concerns in a medieval setting, reunited Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, and featured an amazing performance from Jodie Comer. Although not enough time has passed for it to be considered an underappreciated forgotten classic, those who slept on The Last Duel The first time around would be wise to revisit it.

Affleck played a supporting role as the hedonistic nobleman who escalates tensions between the two duelists, Sir Jean de Carrouges (Damon) and Jacques le Gris (Adam Driver). The last duel s Heavy themes of sexual assault and oppressive female subjugation made this a tense and effective story Which will surely be re-appreciated as an underappreciated hidden gem in Ridley’s vast filmography. The Last Duel was also co-written by Affleck and Damon along with Nicole Holofsener, showcasing that the people who once wrote Good luck hunting Have not lost any of their creative talents in the written word either.

1

The Way Back (2020)

Ben Affleck as Jack Cunningham

One excellent film that defined Ben Affleck’s career was the woefully underrated The way backA sports drama that featured a performance that probably hit close to home for its stars. Affleck stars as Jack Cunningham, an alcoholic construction worker who becomes head coach of the basketball team at the high school where he was once a star player. The way back was an insightful and personal film for Affleck that reflected his own struggles with addiction and was produced shortly after he left rehab (by interrogator.)

The way back explored pain, self-destruction and the path to redemption, and while it never got the attention it deserved, it remains one of Affleck’s greatest actors. The power of The way back Was not only in his compelling story, but also in the genuine nature of Affleck’s performance, how Jack’s difficulties felt sharp and sensitive. The way back Back painted the curtain Ben Affleck Long reported on personal struggles and gave audiences a glimpse into the man behind the movies.

Source: The numbers, Collider, interrogator