With approximately 40 years in showbiz under his belt, it's safe to say Ben Affleck is a bonafide household name. Over these last few decades, Affleck has left an indelible mark on the world of movies, with his resumé boasting some high-profile credits as well as some big ol' flops (lookin' at you, Gigli, Daredevil, and Surviving Christmas). Through the highs and the lows, Affleck has proven himself to be a skilled actor, director, writer, and producer. He's worked in a variety of genres, although he excels in both dramas and action movies. He's a fairly skilled comedic presence, always down to poke fun at his celebrity status when need be. He is also getting more and more candid about his personal life as the years while also going deep about his past career choices, making him one of the more fascinating celebrities to track as he ages into a new, more mature chapter in his career.

With 73 acting credits, 23 producer credits, eight director credits, and six writing credits to his name, Affleck has built up on hell of a resumé. At such, it seems like it's about dang time we round up some of the best movies he's worn the hat of actor, director, writer, producer, or, in some cases, more than one hat. There will be some surprises as to the ranking and maybe some intrigue aroused over the reasoning behind those rankings, but it's safe to say you will not be disappointed by which of Affleck's movies are considered (in this writer's opinion) to be some of his best yet.

Keep scrolling to see which Affleck movies have been tapped as the best of 'em all and how they rank. For more, check out this spicy ranking of Brad Pitt's best movies.

11. Shakespeare in Love (1998)

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Image via Miramax

Affleck may not be a leading man in Shakespeare in Love but he's certainly the biggest scene-stealer in this 1998 Oscar-winning picture. Even as Elizabethan actor Ned Alleyn, Affleck manages to suffuse his performance with the kind of bro-tastic energy which has become central to his onscreen persona. He also manages to significantly liven things up whenever he appears in this John Madden-directed, Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow-starring story which follows playwright William Shakespeare's attempts to get his career off the ground with a new play, Romeo & Juliet.

There's a good reason Shakespeare in Love picked up so many Oscars, including one for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench), and Best Actress (Paltrow). This is a movie which infuses its somewhat alternative history with crackling dialogue and some truly great performances. In the pantheon of Affleck pics, however, it doesn't rank as high if only because he's criminally underused (which is unfortunate considering the late '90s is a Peak Affleck Period). Shakespeare in Love is still a great example of Affleck's power to leave one hell of an impression, even with a small amount of screentime.

10. The Town (2010)

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Image via Warner Bros.

Affleck's second crack at directing a feature-length film comes in the form of 2010's The Town. As one-third of Boston's Holy Trinity of Bros (I'm looking at you, Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg), it's only natural Affleck would return to familiar territory for his second directorial project. The Town comes just three years after Affleck's acclaimed feature-length directorial debut Gone Baby Gone. It tackles familiar motifs with familiar characters woven in as we follow this crime drama of a group of childhood friends try to pull off one of their biggest bank heists yet as it unfolds amidst tougher, blue-collar folks living in and around the Massachusetts capital.

The Town sees Affleck balancing the duties of lead and director, something he pulls off even better in Argo and not so well in Live By Night. As far as tense crime dramas go, it's good Affleck is leading the way with Jeremy Renner on stand-by as his second-in-command. Affleck does well when there is a strong central partnership where he functions as one-half of that duo, so of course his performance — and the movie overall — is better for having this Affleck-Renner partnership anchor the movie.

9. The Accountant (2016)

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Image via Warner Bros.

2016's The Accountant marks the first of two collaborations between Affleck and director Gavin O'Connor. For my money, The Accountant is a surprisingly taut, tense, and intriguing drama but doesn't quite reach the level of greatness as the second and most recent collab, The Way Back. There are about a thousand and one ways Affleck's portrayal of a man on the autism spectrum working as an accountant by day and a book-cooker for the mafia by night could have gone wrong since the actor is both neurotypical and not a book-cooker. Thankfully, Affleck opted for a grounded approach to his character, Christian Wolff, which is miles ahead of, say, Dustin Hoffman's now-problematic performance in Rain Man, while also intelligently and compassionately depicting Christian's environmental sensitivities. By making this smart performance choice, Affleck is able to tackle a character he's never played before existing in a world he's plenty comfortable with thanks to previous roles. Under O'Connor's deft direction, The Accountant manages to be both watchable and fresh, small in its scope and hearkening back to the kind of crime thrillers which had a heyday back in the '70s.

8. The Way Back (2020)

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Image via Warner Bros.

Affleck's most recent role (at time of publication) as a washed-up former high school basketball working his way back from the rock-bottom depths of alcoholism in The Way Back is also one of his strongest. Considering the autobiographical ties to playing an alcoholic in recovery — an aspect of his life he was quite candid about in the run up to The Way Back's release — Affleck turns in one of his strongest performances in recent memory. The creative comfort with O'Connor is present in The Way Back, making this movie a compelling watch as the two personalities work together to bring this story to life. It's also clear while watching The Way Back that we'll soon be talking about this movie as the beginning of a new chapter in Affleck's career, one which may potentially kick off a renaissance period following stormier times.

7. Chasing Amy (1997)

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Image via Miramax

Writer/director/producer Kevin Smith is second only to Matt Damon when it comes to iconic Affleck collaborators. Following their work together on 1996's Mallrats, Smith gave Affleck the lead opposite Joey Lauren Adams in Chasing Amy. Affleck plays Holden, a New Jersey comic book artist who falls for his friend, Alyssa (Adams), who is both a comic book artist and a lesbian. The premise of Chasing Amy hasn't aged well, in my opinion, with the general message of the movie essentially implying if a man professes his love loudly enough, even a queer woman will relent and date him. However, Smith's script (his writing is always one of the stronger aspects of his features, TBH) offers a lot of room for Affleck to test his leading man abilities in what is an early starring role. In this department, Affleck takes to Smith's writing like a duck to water as he reels you in during some of the most emotional scenes of the movie.

6. Dazed and Confused (1993)

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Image via Gramercy Pictures

At this point in his career, it's practically a well-documented fact Affleck exudes big bro energy. Perhaps the best and earliest showcase for these bro-tastic was in writer/director Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused, where Affleck plays Texas high school senior Fred O'Bannion. O'Bannion is basically there to haze the incoming freshman during their last day as eighth graders and is seen skulking about town carry a paddle with "FAH-Q" emblazoned on it but damn if he's not having the time of his life. The arc is relatively brief in the smorgasbord of plots which make up the movie, but Affleck makes a meal out of his smaller role (incidentally, Dazed and Confused also reveals Affleck to be a great supporting cast member as well as a leading man).

5. Argo (2012)

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Image via Warner Bros.

Affleck's third feature in the director's chair, 2012's Argo, also happens to be his best yet. The actor takes the lead in this "based on a true story" tale of Tony Mendez, a CIA agent who launches an operation to extract six Americans from Tehran by posing as the film crew for a sci-fi movie. In the wake of his work as a director on the similarly acclaimed Gone Baby Gone, Affleck is firing on all cylinder as he brings to life this political thriller. Every choice made, from the direction on the performances to the way in which the some of the most tense moments play out, allow for Affleck's voice as a director and actor to shine. Argo was egregiously overlooked for a Best Director nom for Affleck when the Oscars came a-calling. But, it did scoop up Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay (for Chris Terrio), and Best Film Editing, so it's not all bad.

4. Dogma (1999)

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Image via Lionsgate Films

Coming in at number four is Dogma, which, for my money, is the second-best Affleck-Damon pairing but Affleck's best collaboration with Kevin Smith (sorry, Jersey Girl). Seriously, what's not to love about Affleck and Damon as fallen angels Bartleby and Loki, respectively, who come to Earth to literally raise hell? Furthermore, what's not to love about '90s queen Linda Fiorentino playing protagonist heroine Bethany, who must recruit the help of Jay (Jason Mewes), Silent Bob (Smith), the angel Metatron (Alan Rickman), and Jesus' childhood friend Rufus (Chris Rock) in order to take Bartleby and Loki down? Affleck and Damon are doing the Boston bros proud in this one as they go from town to town, stirring the pot with their antics and reveling in every minute of it.

3. Armageddon (1998)

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Image via Buena Vista Pictures/Disney

Michael Bay's Armageddon is arguably the best in showcasing Affleck as a heroic Hollywood heartthrob, one of a few character types Affleck gets comfortable playing over the years. Armageddon isn't just one of Affleck's best movies, it's also one of Bay's best, too, even if it does make the aesthetic choices he, as a director, will become infamous for in the years following this movie. Armageddon is a solid action movie with Bruce Willis at the helm at oil rig operator Harry Stamper and Affleck as his protégé, A.J., who has to prove himself to Harry while he and their team train to destroy as asteroid headed toward Earth (can you believe I just wrote that sentence? Because I can't). Affleck does exactly what the role requires, performing idealized masculinity with all of the cockiness and handsomeness needed to make A.J. worthy of our emotional investment. And while there are no great epiphanies or grander messages to be made about Affleck's performance, he is at his best as this specific character type in Armageddon, which lays the groundwork for similar performances in future projects.

2. Good Will Hunting (1997)

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Image via Miramax

It's been a little over 20 years since Good Will Hunting was released but it's still aging well. This feature represents a win for Affleck on a number of fronts and is one of the big highlight in his career. As Chuckie, longtime best friend to protagonist Will Hunting (played by Affleck's actual best friend, Matt Damon), Affleck perfectly plays another character type he'll go on to become known for: the working class wise guy with a heart of gold. Chuckie makes the most of his time in the story and it's great to see Affleck and Damon memorialize their camaraderie for the first of many times onscreen. But Affleck also has a co-screenwriting credit on Good Will Hunting and the Oscar statue in hand to prove he's also a keen screenwriter capable of making great art in more than one way. Good Will Hunting was a calling card for Affleck, a way for him to announce himself as a serious artist. While that "serious artist" bit has more or less remained intact over the years depending on which of his movies you watch, it's hard to deny Good Will Hunting is a strong proving ground and major turning point for Affleck.

1. Gone Girl (2014)

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Image via 20th Century Studios

Gone Girl is not just one of the best movies in recent memory, it's the best of Affleck's career thus far and an excellent showcase for him as an actor. Under director David Fincher's supervision, Affleck is able to sink his teeth into the complicated, morally-complex character of Nick Dunne, husband to missing writer Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike). Fincher's decision to cast Affleck was a keen one, nabbing the A-lister because he knew Affleck would understand the toll of the public scrutiny Nick would face as he became the star suspect in Amy's disappearance. Affleck thrives as Nick in Gone Girl for additional reasons, like depicting the particular hardships of marriage when, say, your partner is famous or dealing with the potential nuisances on instant fame and the drag of public opinions on one's personal life. Gone Girl is a biting and brutal examination of one path a marriage can take and it's an examination Affleck had ostensibly been training to depict for some time. By the time the credits roll on Gone Girl, it's hard not to feel complete admiration for the deftness of Affleck's performance and the comfort shown through living in Nick's skin for two-plus hours. The work done by Affleck helps make Gone Girl a strong movie and one worth returning to time and time again.