Everyone in Hollywood has a flop or two under their belt. Poor Ben Affleck had one just this year in Hypnotic, a film that seemed to crash and burn as soon as it became available. Fans are gradually catching up to it, but this one won’t be a cult classic.
Ben Affleck has received some unsolicited advice from fans on Reddit. According to the thread, Affleck makes his best movies when he’s writer or director, and rarely turns in a hit when he’s merely acting. This leads to a lively discussion about the best thriller movies he’s ever made.
“Honestly, outside of the few highlights like The Accountant, The Way Back [and so on], Affleck as a lead in a movie to me does not work in this era,” says the original poster. Another echoes that Hypnotic really is a lowlight: “Hypnotic is one of the worst movies I’ve seen in years. I was stunned.”
Other commenters note Affleck’s success in the realm of writing and directing. “The Town rocks,” says one, while another notes that Affleck had his hand in everything on Air: “His fame as an actor certainly helps him get a movie like Air, which he also acts in, made.”
If you look at the new movies that Affleck has written and directed, it’s an impressive list. Gone Baby Gone, The Town, Argo, and then you have just the stuff he helped write, like The Last Duel. Those are unilaterally some of the best drama movies of the last 20 years, and Argo even earned Affleck an Academy Award for direction, further proving his talents.
He can be one of the best actors working, but he’s always one of the best directors, and perhaps that’s a line of work he should follow more. We’re just glad to get more productions from him, especially if they involved Matt Damon.
On that note, you should read how this Ben Affleck and Matt Damon movie is still criminally underrated. Now, go see our list of the best Ben Affleck movies.