Ben Affleck Reveals the Movies He Actually Loves From His Own Career
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have a bond that has long surpassed the usual Hollywood friendship, evolving into a creative partnership that defines their respective careers. While reflecting on their connection back in 1999, Damon told The Los Angeles Times that Affleck has always possessed an incredible charisma that audiences are now experiencing through his work.
He admitted that it is often difficult to view his closest friend as a global superstar, but he believes that Affleck’s success comes from the way the real him shines through on screen, making him someone everybody wants to be around.
The duo most recently channeled this lifelong chemistry into their 2022 collaboration Air, which told the story of Nike’s pursuit of Michael Jordan. In an interview with People magazine, Damon emphasized that his relationship with Affleck is everything to me and confessed that his journey through the industry would be unimaginably harder without his friend.
He noted that having someone to check in with over the last quarter-century has been vital in navigating the surreal world of celebrity. It is no shock then that when Affleck was asked to name his three favorite personal films in 2021, he included his 1997 breakout with Damon, Good Will Hunting.
Without any hesitation, he rounded out his top three with his directorial efforts Gone Baby Gone and The Town. While those selections are significant milestones, Affleck has continued to build on that legacy as both a filmmaker and an actor, often using his production company, Artists Equity, to tell stories rooted in complex human connections.
As of February 2026, the Affleck-Damon partnership is more prolific than ever before. The pair recently starred together in the high-stakes Netflix action thriller The Rip, which premiered on January 16, 2026.
The film, directed by Joe Carnahan, follows two Miami police partners who find themselves in a moral crisis after discovering $24 million in a stash house. Critics have praised the project for leveraging the duo’s classic chemistry to explore a friendship tested by greed, and it currently holds a strong 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Beyond his work as an actor, Affleck is currently deep in production for his next directorial effort, a crime thriller titled Animals. While Matt Damon was originally set to star in the film, he had to depart due to scheduling conflicts with a project directed by Christopher Nolan. Consequently, Affleck stepped in to both direct and lead the cast, starring alongside Gillian Anderson and Kerry Washington.
The film follows a mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped, forcing him and his wife to delve into a gritty underworld to save their child. In addition to his serious film work, Affleck recently delighted fans by returning to his Boston roots for a Super Bowl commercial for Dunkin’.
The “lost pilot” ad, titled Good Will Dunkin’, featured him as a math genius working at a donut shop and included a surprise appearance by Tom Brady. Between promoting The Rip and The Accountant 2, Affleck remains one of the most influential figures in the industry.
Do you think Ben Affleck’s most impressive work happens when he is behind the camera as a director, or do you prefer seeing him on screen alongside Matt Damon? Share your thoughts in the comments.