The Four Best Ben Affleck Movies On Rotten Tomatoes Have One Thing In Common

Film audiences may have first recognized Ben Affleck for his appearance in the 1992 film "School Ties," where he played the main sidekick of the film's central bully. In 1993, Affleck was already behind the camera as well, having made a rather notorious 16-minute short film called "I Killed My Lesbian Wife, Hung Her on a Meat Hook, and Now I Have a Three-Picture Deal at Disney." Affleck played a boorish womanizer named Shannon in Kevin Smith's 1995 comedy "Mallrats," and he teamed with Smith again in 1997 to make the stirring queer romantic drama "Chasing Amy." At the end of 1997, Affleck and his friend Matt Damon became awards darlings thanks to Gun Van Sant's "Good Will Hunting" which they both wrote and starred in. 

Affleck has remained a superstar ever since, having appeared in terse studio dramas, mainstream romances, and numerous action films. He played the superheroes Daredevil and Batman and continued to work with Kevin Smith. He also, as any superstar might, appeared in his share of stinkers, including "Gigli," and "Paycheck." Affleck directed his first feature in 2007 with "Gone Baby Gone," an intense kidnapping thriller starring his brother, Casey Affleck. He would go on to direct the documentary "Gimme Shelter," and the features "The Town," the Best Picture-winner "Argo," and "Live By Night." In 2023, he appeared in the corporate biopic "Air," the heady Robert Rodriguez thriller "Hypnotic," and the ultra-bomb "The Flash." Affleck's career has always been varied. 

Rotten Tomatoes recently had a rundown of all the films Affleck starred in, produced, or directed, and found an interesting trend. 51 films were ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes approval rating, and the four highest-approved films in Affleck's career were all films he either wrote, directed, or produced. 

The highest-approved film on the Rotten Tomatoes list is the aforementioned "Good Will Hunting," which sports a 97% approval rating based on 91 reviews. 1997 was a notoriously good year for films, and "Good Will Hunting," coming from two rising young stars, unexpectedly elbowed its way into the year's awards conversation, getting nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film ultimately won Best Supporting Actor for Robin Williams and Best Original Screenplay for Affleck and Damon. The film follows a mild-mannered janitor, Will (Damon), who scrubs the floors at MIT. Will spends some time in prison and spends his free time boozing with friends (including Affleck), but he is secretly a self-taught math whiz, happily letting his potential go to waste. 

A professor at MIT recognizes Will's genius and refers him to a psychiatrist friend, Sean Maguire (Williams). Through their conversations, Will finally begins to open up. It's a brilliant emotional journey, but also a treatise on the way education and class too often intermingle. 

Rated at 96%, based on 365 reviews, is Affleck's 2012 Hollywood biopic-slash-spy drama "Argo." In November of 1979, the U.S. Embassy in Tehran was invaded and 66 of the people working there were taken hostage. Six of the workers, however, were able to flee and sheltered in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Those six needed to be evacuated posthaste, and CIA operative Tony Mendez (Affleck) invents a brilliant means of doing so. He will say that they are Canadian filmmakers who were in Iran scouting locations for a sci-fi movie called "Argo." 

To back up his story, however, Mendez required multiple Hollywood moguls to actually put a film into production, complete with a publicity tour and press materials. "Argo" is a sweet little self-pat-on-the-back for Hollywood execs, and was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing.

With a 92% approval rating, based on 239 reviews, is Affleck's sophomore directorial effort, "The Town." Affleck's Boston roots have never been stronger than in this film, and that's saying a lot, given how many times he makes movies set there. "The Town" is about a group of serial bank robbers whose last job greatly disturbed the bank manager Claire (Rebecca Hall) whom they took hostage. Doug (Affleck) stalks her at first but eventually meets her, spends time with her, and develops feelings for her. All the while, he and his crew are planning a certainly-ill-fated one-last-job. "The Town" was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Jeremy Renner, but is more widely accepted as an ensemble piece. 

And the fourth highest-approved film on the Rotten Tomatoes list is "Air," the 2023 biopic about how Nike conceived and marketed the Air Jordans, one of their most popular products. Affleck directed and starred as Phil Knight, the blustery CEO of the Nike corporation, while Damon plays the film's protagonist, marketing guru Sonny Vaccaro. The film has a 93% approval rating based on 344 reviews. 

"Air" is a curious animal, as it's energetic, engaging, and bright in the classic Hollywood mold. It features great actors and a sparkling screenplay filled with fun characters and excellent dialogue. It also celebrates a certain kind of gross obsession with corporate products, declaring that consumer goods are now more important to American culture than artists, musicians, politicians, or talented people. "Air," I feel, is more an observation of corporate culture than a clear celebration of it, but one can be forgiven for bristling at its "Yay Nike!" attitude. 

Donald Trump used a speech from "Air" in his campaign materials, and Affleck condemned him.