Top 10 Ben Affleck Performances

With the recent release of Gone Girl this month, I've decided to theme my October with Ben Affleck movies (because Affleck over Halloween movies, apparently). I've watched about 17 Ben Affleck movies this past month, so here's a rundown of my favorites.

There's no doubt Ben Affleck is a fantastic director, I really love his work behind the camera. However, this list will only focus on his work as depicted on screen. As most great actors, a lot of their work can't always make it onto a Top 10 list, and since Affleck is such a talent on-screen, I'm going to run down a few of his performances that almost made my list, and those are: Good Will Hunting, Armageddon, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, and State of Play.

Now that that's out of the way, here are my top 10 favorite Ben Affleck performances:

10. Argo

Ben Affleck starred in and directed a film that won Best Picture at the Oscars. Yup. I feel like I should end it there, but I got to praise Affleck. While his directing is the real star of the movie, he gives a damn good performance. Showing us just how intense and stern he can be on-screen while doing what he does best (directing himself direct fictional characters trapped in Iran. Ha, I kid). This film that came well into his career just cemented him as one to look out for both behind and in-front of the camera.

9. Shakespeare in Love

Wow, he really can pull off any styles of facial hair

Playing what probably is his most different character (other than a blind guy dressed up in a red suit who fights crime), Affleck really shows to us his diversity as an actor in this film. He brings his charm and charisma to this fun role, and he's a great side character. Actually, had his character been in the movie for more than seven minutes, this performance would be higher on the list. Oh well... Hopefully, he tries a role similar to this soon.

8. Runner Runner

This movie came out, like, only a couple months after he was announced as Bruce Wayne/Batman, and it erased any doubt I had about Ben Affleck playing a eccentric billionaire with a bit of a dark side. Not a great movie, true, but every scene Affleck's in makes the movie worth it. Taking his strengths, his charisma and his raw intensity, he takes this performance up a notch by going pretty over the top with it. You can tell Affleck was like, "I'm just going to have loads of fun playing this character, and throw chickens at crocodiles".

7. Changing Lanes

Sometimes, an actor doesn't have to give a "powerful" or "moving" performance to get on my favorites list. Sometimes, it's just fun to see them having fun, and that's exactly what Ben Affleck does in this film. Affleck playing a grown-ass man acting like a stubborn teenager trying to get back at another person... the thought of it is pretty funny. Affleck cuts loose, and gives us fun and a little over-the-top performance that just brings pure joy and entertainment, and hey, can I really ask for more?

6. The Company Men

When Ben Affleck is your stand-out performance in a movie with Chris Cooper and Tommy Lee Jones, it's either your movie is pretty bad or Affleck's just really good... and well, Affleck's just really good. Affleck plays a character who has just lost his job he loves so he goes off and tries to find out what he's going to do with his life. As the film progresses, you see Affleck go from a joyful company man to a depressed guy with an out-of-control temper to a hopeful, hardworking, simple family man, and the way Affleck transitions from each is pretty good. 

5. Chasing Amy

Top 5... now, we're getting into the heavy hitters. Affleck really has that face you want to root for, whether it's finding his missing wife or not getting attacked by Youtube commenters, you just root for the guy. Affleck in this film takes his lovable charm and combined with the writing of Kevin Smith, gives us a really good, funny, and relatable character. I mean, that's basically most of Ben Affleck's characteristics anyways! He gives a real touching performance, and hits quite a few emotional beats in the film, especially the one in the car in the rain. Look out for that one.

4. Hollywoodland

Trust me, there's nothing really clever I can say that
this picture doesn't already scream.

There's a lot of things Ben Affleck can do. Create a fake film to smuggle hostages out of Iran, making a comic about two drug addicts, robbing banks, stopping bank robbers as a masked vigilante, and well, yes... Affleck can even be Superman. Affleck plays the late George Reeves (the actor who portrayed Superman in the 1950s serials), who is a eccentric, respectable, and troubled actor. Affleck pulls off that side of his character with ease and disappears into his role completely, but one of the highlights of the film is when his character lands the part of Superman. It's there where you really see Affleck's acting chops because playing two very different characters in the same film is a feat Affleck accomplishes and a feat that we should praise.

3. Gone Girl

"Show me that darling Nick smile"

A bit early to be claiming his performance to be that high up on a list, but I do believe that his performance in this film is one of his bests. As I said in my review, although Affleck's performance doesn't draw too much attention to itself, I do believe Affleck played the role he was given perfectly. He's supposed to be that play that quiet, drawn back, kind of awkward big guy, and it does work for most of the movie. He alone carries the first act of the movie, and that's not to be overlooked.

2. Dazed and Confused

I don't know who made Ben Affleck our new Batman,
he'd be horrible as neighborhood watch.

Really had a hard time picking between his performance here and the movie you'll soon find out. Ultimately, it came down to screen time. This is an ensemble flick, and not entirely centered around Affleck, so we don't get as much of him as we'd like, but his scenes in this movie are stellar. He plays the asshole, basically, as he goes around the town on the last day of school, paddling Freshman ass. It's not a performance that shows his finesse as an actor, but it's one of my personal favorites. It's Ben Affleck playing an asshole in the most sincere and enjoyable way possible.

As you've probably guessed by now, my favorite Ben Affleck performance is...

1. The Town

I first watched The Town back in 2012 initially not knowing it was a Ben Affleck-directed and starring in film, and wow, was I extremely delighted, and it has stuck with me these past two years. First of all, Ben Affleck plays a great character by the name of Doug MacRay, a criminal who, whether or not it's clear at the start of the movie, wants to leave the town. He plays this complex character really well, and he has great chemistry with Rebecca Hall and Jeremy Renner. For me, this is the full Ben Affleck package. His scenes with Rebecca Hall bring out his good comedic timing and his lovable Ben Affleck charm, and his scenes with the criminals of the town bring out his raw intensity, his brutal and stern nature, and all those characteristics of him all mix together really well in one damn fine performance. It'll be the role I associate him with the most, and I can't tell it's like that because it's my favorite performance of his or vice-versa. Either way, there's no doubt in my mind that it's his finest.

This was a fun little article I did. It really made me fully appreciate how far Ben Affleck has come as an actor (and even as a director, in some ways). I can't wait for Batman, some of his TV gigs, and what else the future has in store for him, because I so totally along for the ride (especially if that ride is the Batmobile).