{"id":246910,"date":"2026-01-19T21:44:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T21:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/246910\/"},"modified":"2026-01-19T21:44:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T21:44:10","slug":"7-essential-matt-damon-ben-affleck-movies-ranked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/246910\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Essential Matt Damon & Ben Affleck Movies, Ranked"},"content":{"rendered":"

Batman and Robin. Frodo and Sam. Snoopy and Woodstock. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.<\/p>\n

Affleck and Damon have been one of the most fascinating and exciting Hollywood duos for decades, a pair of actors and filmmakers who went from being childhood friends to co-Oscar winners. The two have shared the screen together since essentially the starts of their respective careers, with both getting early uncredited roles in 1989\u2019s \u201cField of Dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since then, Affleck and Damon have built a healthy filmography of co-starring projects, ramping up with a steadier stream the past few years. Friday, Netflix released \u201cThe Rip<\/a>,\u201d their new collaboration which features the duo as a pair of cops who get in too deep when they discover a house stashed with millions in cartel money.<\/p>\n

In honor of \u201cThe Rip,\u201d here\u2019s a ranking of seven of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon\u2019s biggest collaborations.<\/p>\n

\"\u201cThe\u201cThe Rip\u201d (Warrick Page\/Netflix)<\/p>\n

7. \u201cThe Rip\u201d<\/p>\n

I take no pleasure in reporting that Affleck and Damon\u2019s latest collaboration, \u201cThe Rip,\u201d is probably their weakest. I wouldn\u2019t go as far as to call it bad. Writer\/director Joe Carnahan excels at ratcheting tension as the walls close in on a group of characters sitting on millions in cartel money. The largely single-setting movie gives Affleck and Damon (as well as co-stars Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle and Catalina Sandino Moreno) a wealth of screen time together, allowing their natural chemistry to elevate a sometimes rocky script.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s a bit too much Netflix in this Netflix movie for it to get a high rank in the duo\u2019s largely stellar filmography. The visuals are often lacking, the action can be spatially incoherent and the dialogue feels written toward second-screeners. \u201cThe Rip\u201d is a good way to pass a night on Netflix, and the Affleck\/Damon duo certainly elevates the film, but it doesn\u2019t stand among their best.<\/p>\n

\"school<\/p>\n

6. \u201cSchool Ties\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSchool Ties\u201d is definitely the most lopsided in the Damon\/Affleck alchemy (hence the photo), lending to its low ranking on the list. Robert Mandel\u2019s 1992 coming-of-age drama, written by Dick Wolf and Darryl Ponicsan, takes place at a prep school in 1955. Brendan Fraser stars as David Greene, a young man who starts attending the school in his senior year as their new quarterback \u2014\u00a0and chooses to hide the fact that he\u2019s Jewish from his antisemitic peers.<\/p>\n

Damon gets second billing in the film as Charlie Dillon, an affluent and popular football player who becomes David\u2019s friend-turned-bully (in a bit of serendipity, Charlie is longtime roommates with a fellow student named \u201cRip\u201d). The young Damon excels at the part, playing, as David describes him in the film\u2019s closing line, \u201ca prick.\u201d Affleck, meanwhile, gets a much smaller role, playing fellow senior Chesty Smith.<\/p>\n

Despite the Damon\/Affleck duo not really being focused on in \u201cSchool Ties\u201d (Fraser\u2019s performance is both the focus and the highlight of the film), it\u2019s a delight to see both actors at the very start of their careers. Even with little screen time together, the pair\u2019s dynamic peeks through in small moments, like when Affleck wraps his legs around Damon as the pair pretend they\u2019re monkeys. It would be a stretch to call \u201cSchool Ties\u201d an Affleck\/Damon collaboration (it falls more into the same camp as projects like \u201cChasing Amy\u201d and \u201cJersey Girl\u201d that aren\u2019t featured on this list), but there is something joyful about seeing them together at their beginning.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cDogma\u201d (Miramax)<\/p>\n

5. \u201cDogma\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the best on-screen Affleck\/Damon dynamics comes in Kevin Smith\u2019s \u201cDogma.\u201d The film sees the duo play fallen angels Bartleby and Loki, trekking from Wisconsin to New Jersey in an attempt to secure re-entry into heaven through a loophole involving an overzealous cardinal and his \u201cBuddy Jesus.\u201d Unfortunately for the rest of us, Bartleby and Loki\u2019s success would prove God wrong, thus jeopardizing the rest of existence. Heady stuff!<\/p>\n

Smith, Affleck and Damon have a great energy together, with their scenes being highlights of \u201cDogma.\u201d If you just want to see the vibes of these two actors together, this is definitely one worth the watch.<\/p>\n

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\"Matt\u201cJay and Silent Bob Strike Back\u201d (Dimension Films)<\/p>\n

4. \u201cJay and Silent Bob Strike Back\u201d<\/p>\n

There are a few Kevin Smith films with Affleck and Damon that do not appear on this list, cases in which the screen time from one or both of them is relatively brief. That being said, I would be remiss to not mention \u201cJay and Silent Bob Strike Back\u201d if only for one key scene.<\/p>\n

In case you don\u2019t know, the film, starring Jason Mewes and Smith as Jay and Silent Bob, features a moment where the iconic duo end up on the set of a fictional sequel to \u201cGood Will Hunting\u201d titled \u201cGood Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season.\u201d Damon and Affleck appear in the scene as themselves, as do Scott William Winters and Gus Van Sant (seen counting his money).<\/p>\n

Every single moment of \u201cGood Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season\u201d exists perfectly crystalized in my brain \u2014\u00a0Will getting way too angry at Clark for regurgitating Gordon Wood, Winters over-emphasizing his dialogue, a guy standing behind Winters getting weirdly excited when he says, \u201cYou\u2019re just no longer that good, Will Hunting.\u201d I cannot count the number of times I\u2019ve watched the scene, an over-the-top parody of hyper-repetitive sequels.<\/p>\n

This might genuinely be my favorite performance Affleck\u2019s ever given. In two minutes, he has about four line deliveries that have permanently altered the way I think and speak.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll talk a little bit later about my favorite moment these two have ever shared on-screen, but a close second has to be Affleck\u2019s utterance of \u201cI don\u2019t like the sound of them apples, Will! What are we gonna do?!\u201d As Affleck looks at Damon during this line, a smile creeps onto the edge of his mouth. He seemingly struggles to keep himself from breaking. These are two best friends who hit the jackpot and are living the dream. Should we all be so lucky.<\/p>\n

\"air-matt-damon\"Amazon Studios<\/p>\n

3. \u201cAir\u201d<\/p>\n

After a string of heavier films, Affleck lined up a fun one for his first time directing Damon. \u201cAir,\u201d written by Alex Convery, follows Damon as Sonny Vaccaro, a Nike employee who wanted to strike up a deal with Michael Jordan to create the Air Jordan. Affleck co-stars as Nike co-founder Phil Knight.<\/p>\n

This could easily come across the finish line as a two-hour advertisement (and sure, some of that is there). Yet \u201cAir\u201d is a handsomely directed, well-written, and strongly acted examination of American symbols and myth-making. Affleck and Convery use the world of commerce and advertising as an asset rather than a liability in a zippy bio-drama with plenty on its mind.<\/p>\n

\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Matt\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The20th Century<\/p>\n

2. \u201cThe Last Duel\u201d<\/p>\n

The 2020s saw the resurgence of the Affleck\/Damon on-screen duo, starting with 2021\u2019s \u201cThe Last Duel.\u201d Ridley Scott directed the film based on a screenplay written by Affleck, Damon and Nicole Holofcener.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Last Duel\u201d tells the story of Marguerite de Carrouges (Jodie Comer), married to knight Jean de Carrouges (Damon). When Marguerite accuses Squire Jacques le Gris (Adam Driver) of rape, Jean challenges Jacques to a duel as a means of trial. Affleck, Damon, Holofcener and Scott approach the story in a \u201cRashomon\u201d-like fashion, with three distinct chapters showing events from Jean, Jacques and Marguerites\u2019 perspectives (the latter of which is the film\u2019s strongest and most sobering). Affleck co-stars as the dopey Count Pierre d\u2019Alen\u00e7on in a memorable performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Last Duel\u201d is a sharp and compelling drama, with easily the best screenplay for a film starring the duo since their Oscar win. Damon and Affleck both deliver solid performances, but Comer\u2019s haunting turn (particularly during the titular duel) is the reason to watch. How she didn\u2019t get her Oscar flowers is beyond me.<\/p>\n

\"BenBen Affleck in \u201cGood Will Hunting\u201d (Credit: Miramax)<\/p>\n

1. \u201cGood Will Hunting\u201d<\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t tell from the photos I\u2019ve selected, Affleck and Damon collaborations follow a trend \u2014\u00a0when the pair take a project together, Damon tends to be the star. There are a few exceptions to this rule (Kevin Smith\u2019s films, as mentioned before, tend to favor Ben, though I wouldn\u2019t really call these Affleck\/Damon collabs). But when the two unite for true \u201cBen and Matt\u201d movies, Damon generally takes the lead and Affleck takes supporting.<\/p>\n

This is certainly true of \u201cGood Will Hunting,\u201d a movie that brought the two friends a Best Original Screenplay Oscar and really skyrocketed their careers. While Damon takes on the titular role of Will Hunting, Affleck, as Will\u2019s best friend Chuckie, gets far less screen time in comparison. I feel like some people write his performance off a bit as a result. After all, Damon got nominated for Best Actor, while Robin Williams eclipsed Affleck with a (fully deserved) Best Supporting Actor nomination and win.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s a scene in \u201cGood Will Hunting\u201d (a favorite film of mine that I\u2019ve watched more than I can remember) that I think of more than most. As Will and Chuckie work another day on a construction site, Will begins to share his dream \u2014\u00a0to keep living next door to Chuckie for the rest of his life, continuing to avoid the opportunities that have come his way. In a moment of sobering honesty, Chuckie reveals the best part of his day: the 10 seconds before he knocks on Will\u2019s door, when he gets to hope that his best friend has gone after the life within his reach. It\u2019s a perfect scene, one that shows how well suited both men were for their roles \u2014 and what a feast Affleck can make out of a handful of moments.<\/p>\n

Affleck and Damon weren\u2019t unknowns when \u201cGood Will Hunting\u201d came out, and it\u2019s easy to imagine that parts would still have come their way without it. But they didn\u2019t know when they cast \u201cGood Will Hunting\u201d that one would go on to be Batman and direct a Best Picture winner, or that the other would become Jason Bourne and get three acting Oscar nominations. They didn\u2019t know they\u2019d\u00a0both\u00a0get to be successful movie stars.<\/p>\n

Yet in the movie that would guarantee their careers, the duo crafted a beautiful moment that encapsulates what it means to be a friend: to want the best for someone even when the best doesn\u2019t include you.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood Will Hunting\u201d is a perfect movie, filled with many such incredible scenes. But this will always be a favorite \u2014\u00a0and a key text of Affleck\/Damon cinema.<\/p>\n

\t\t
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