Ben Affleck remains one of our most successful superstars, an actor/director who has rebuilt his career numerous times with surprising results. This week sees the release of his new thriller, Hypnotic, which teams him with director Robert Rodriguez. Naturally, this gave us the itch to look back at the best Ben Affleck thriller movies and list our top five favorites.
The Sum of All Fears (2002)
Look, The Sum of All Fears isn’t great. Compared to other Jack Ryan entries, including The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and Clear and Present Danger, the production is an enormous step down in quality. Affleck is perfectly cast as a young Ryan doing his best to thwart a terrorist attack on American soil. He handles himself well in the action bits and embodies the spirit of Tom Clancy’s iconic hero. Unfortunately, the rest of the film crumbles around him, resulting in a clunky political thriller weighed down by goofy supporting performances — namely, a miscast James Cromwell — and far too many plot contrivances. Morgan Freeman co-stars, while Live Schreiber makes for a terrific John Clark in the film’s best scene. Despite its flaws, The Sum of All Fears is at least watchable. Where else will you see a picture with the balls to blow up the Super Bowl?
Reindeer Games (2000)
Following his breakout role in Good Will Hunting, Hollywood struggled to find a good use for Affleck’s talents. He went full action star in Armageddon, tried his hand with romantic comedy in Forces of Nature, and re-teamed with Matt Damon in Dogma. During this time, he also popped up in John Frankenheimer’s underrated Reindeer Games, perhaps the craziest pic on the man’s oeuvre. Co-starring Charlize Theron and Gary Sinise, this wild thriller sees Affleck inadvertently tied to a casino heist after shacking up with the wrong girl. It’s a sexy, exciting, intense piece of filmmaking, produced with style and featuring a handful of solid performances. Reindeer Games doesn’t raise the action bar but delivers a good time at the movies and makes our list of the best Ben Affleck thriller movies as a result.
The Accountant (2016)
Some dismiss The Accountant as a routine action thriller with plot holes and a bizarre premise. Personally, I dig Gavin O’Connor’s audacious, albeit clunky, tale about an autistic accountant who spends his nights blowing the bejesus out of terrorist organizations. The pic is of the leave-your-brain-at-the-door variety, and those capable of doing so will enjoy wicked shootouts, terrific fight scenes, and a kick-ass Affleck performance that sells the absurdity. Co-star Anna Kendrick chips in solid support, while JK Simmons and Jon Bernthal do their best in more minor but pivotal roles. The Accountant may not strike your brain, but it’s a fun action flick that satisfies as a piece of escapism.
The Town (2010)
Affleck directed this crime thriller about a bank robber named Doug MacRay (Affleck) who meets and falls in love with Claire Kelsey (Rebecca Hall). The problem is Doug once took Claire hostage during a heist, and she holds vital information that could lock him and his pals up for good. Packed with terrific action and stellar performances — notable by Jeremy Renner — The Town is the perfect Saturday evening thriller, expertly crafted and impeccably paced. While the tacked-on emotional ending feels like a tacked-on misstep, the remaining picture is so good that I’m willing to overlook its minor flaws.
Gone Girl (2014)
Nothing tops David Fincher. The maestro teamed with Affleck and Rosamund Pike for this darkly humorous tale about a man’s search for his missing wife. What follows is a fascinating battle of the sexes, brimming with sexuality, intrigue, and gruesome violence. Affleck is great in the lead role, but Pike, Kim Dickens, and Neil Patrick Harris steal the show, which is why it is an essential inclusion on our list of the best Ben Affleck thriller movies. Based on Gillian Flynn’s best-selling novel, Gone Girl is the best erotic thriller since Fatal Attraction, a picture that will, as Tom Hanks once put it, scare the shit out of men everywhere.
Iconic Roles is a look at some of the best performances in film and television by actors and actresses.
