While he may be dwarfed in popularity byhis older brother Ben,Casey Affleckis an award-winning actor who has appeared in some of the most acclaimed films of the 21st century.With roles in modern westerns, subversive dark comedies, and powerful character dramas, Affleck has worked within multiple genres to find great success; he’s the type of actor who can deliver memorable performances, even in a limited capacity. In addition to being a prominent actor, Affleck is also an accomplished filmmaker, having directed the mockumentaryI’m Still Hereand the post-apocalyptic dramaLight of My Life.
Although he’s been a familiar face within the industry for almost three decades,Affleck often chooses artistically minded projects over mainstream blockbusters. His idiosyncratic acting choices and commitment to challenging material has made him a favorite of acclaimed filmmakers likeGus Van Sant, Christopher Nolan,andDavid Lowery. Here are the ten best Casey Affleck films, ranked.
10‘To Die For’ (1995)
Directed by Gus Van Sant
Based on a chilling true storythat says a lot about the current media landscape,To Die Foris a disturbing dark comedy that showed Affleck’s ability to play malevolent characters. The film is perhaps best known for the now iconic performance byNicole Kidmanas Suzanne Stone-Maretto, an aspiring media personality who attracts a cult following. However, Affleck’s role as the violent teenager Russell Hines, one of Stone-Maretto’s most avid followers, is equally important to the satirical point that Van Sant is making about media fanaticism.
Affleck perfectly captures the persona of an obsessive fan who is driven to violence. While the story initially treats Russell as a source of darkly comic relief, Affleck proves to be quite terrifying once the film takes a more disturbing turn. It’s a testament to Affleck’s ability to develop the role that the twist works so seamlessly.
To Die For
A beautiful but naïve aspiring television personality films a documentary on teenagers with a darker ulterior motive.
Rent on Amazon
9‘Ain’t Them Bodies Saints’ (2013)
Directed by David Lowery
While he’s often cast as isolated and unusual characters,Affleck showed that he was capable of playing a romantic lead in the crime thrillerAin’t Them Bodies Saints. A deeply poignant tone poem that relies as much on silence as it does on dialogue,Ain’t Them Bodies Saintsfollows the bank robber Bob Muldoon (Affleck) as he attempts to maintain a relationship with his girlfriend Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara). The film becomes as heartbreaking as it is because ofthe strong chemistry that Affleck has with Mara.
Ain’t Them Bodies Saintsfeatures a more subdued performance from Affleck, as the film refuses to turn its central relationship into a source of melodrama. While Affleck perfectly captures the stoicism that is inherent to Muldoon’s personality, he is still able to convey the expressive qualities of the character. It’s a powerful love story that examines the subverts of the standard narrative structure of a crime thriller.
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints
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8‘The Old Man & The Gun’ (2018)
While it’s best known for beingthe last lead role of the greatRobert Redford,The Old Man & The Gunshowed how effective Affleck could be as a supporting player. The heartfelt caper film follows the aging bank robber Forrest Tucker (Redford) as he avoids an investigation led by the police detective John Hunt (Affleck). While it ostensibly starts as a manhunt movie,The Old Man & The Gunbecomes invested in showing how both Tucker and Hunt are not defined by their professions. Affleck excels at showing how Hunt comes to question the core nature of his duties once he learns more about Tucker.
It’s an effective performance becauseAffleck does not play a traditional antagonist. Hunt and Tucker realize that they have much more in common with each other than they initially realized after a heartfelt conversation that is beautifully acted on Affleck and Redfords’ parts. It’s a delightful crowdpleaser that nonetheless succeeds in examining its characters’ latent motivations.
The Old Man & the Gun
7‘Good Will Hunting’ (1997)
Good Will HuntinginitiatedMatt DamonandBen Afflecks’ careersafter their script was picked up by Van Sant. However,Casey Affleck also plays an important role inGood Will Huntingand adds some comic relief to the film. In one of his first roles, Affleck makes an appearance as Morgan O’Mally, a friend of both Chuckie (Ben Affleck) and Will (Damon) who spends free time with them in Boston. Morgan’s role in the story is critical, as it was important for the film to establish the humble origins of its characters.
Affleck’s performance is great because it’s very naturalistic,as much ofGood Will Huntingwas based on its screenwriters’ real experiences growing up in Boston. He perfectly embodies the personality of a youthful vagrant, who, despite his kindness, does not have any larger ambitions in life. Affleck’s real friendship with Damon comes across in some of the film’s most poignant moments.Good Will Huntingcontinues to be an inspiring film that empowers viewers to make use of their potential.
Good Will Hunting
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6‘A Ghost Story’ (2017)
While it wasn’t his first collaboration with Lowery,Affleck showed his ability to play non-traditional roles inthe arthouse fantasy dramaA Ghost Story. Lowery’s deeply philosophical arthouse film examines how the death of the young musician C (Affleck) affects his young wife M (Rooney Mara) in the subsequent years. In much of the film, Affleck’s face is draped behind a white ghost costume, as he is embodying C’s spirit in the afterlife.
Affleck’s charisma in the film’s opening moments makes its twist more heartbreaking, as there is a strong sense of what C and Ms’ relationship looked like. In addition to allowing Affleck the chance to show off his musical skills,A Ghost Storyshowed he was capable of bringing expressiveness to a performance; even when under a ghost sheet, Affleck gives a physical performance that indicates C’s emotions. While by no means a traditional romance film,A Ghost Storyis a great existentialist study on how art permeates throughout time.
A Ghost Story
In this singular exploration of legacy, love, loss, and the enormity of existence, a recently deceased, white-sheeted ghost returns to his suburban home to try to reconnect with his bereft wife.
5‘Ocean’s Eleven’ (2001)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Often cited as one of thegreatest heist films of all-time,Ocean’s Elevenis a film that emphasizes every member of its ensemble.While it’sGeorge Clooney’s Danny Ocean andBrad Pitt’s Rusty Ryan who have the most significant roles in the story, Affleck’s performance as the auto specialist Virgil Malloy is a true scene-stealer. Virgil’s knowledge of advanced machinery proves to be essential in the heist to rob the casinos owned by Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia).
Affleck adds a sense of comic relief to the film through his chemistry with Scott Caan, who co-stars as his brother Turk. The bickering nature of their relationship helps balance out the more serious emotional drama at the film’s center. A fun, quick-witted thriller with brilliantly choreographed heist sequences,Ocean’s Elevensucceeded in launching a successful trilogy thanks to its eclectic cast of characters.
Ocean’s Eleven
4‘Gone Baby Gone’ (2007)
Directed by Ben Affleck
A brilliant filmdirected by Affleck’s older brother,Gone Baby Gonechallenges traditional crime thriller narrative elements withthe ethical dilemma at its center.While the film ostensibly begins as a kidnapping drama about a lost child, it morphs into a deeply disturbing examination of political corruption once the Boston detective Patrick Kenzie (Affleck) discovers a latent conspiracy within a police investigation.Gone Baby Gonebrilliantly engages its audience by showing how justice and the law are not always the same thing.
While the film has a terrific ensemble cast that includesMorgan FreemanandEd Harris,Affleck gives an understated performance that captures the pressures of responsibility. The film’s final moments, in which Patrick is forced to make an impossible decision regarding how the kidnapping case will be resolved, work as well as they do thanks to his emotional intensity.
Gone Baby Gone
Gone Baby Gone is a crime drama centering on a detective investigating the disappearance a little girl. But soon after he begins digging for the truth, he is victim to a personal and professional crisis.
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3‘Oppenheimer’ (2023)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
While he is one of themany supporting actors inChristopher Nolan’s acclaimed biopic,Affleck has an important role inOppenheimerthat changes the stakes of the film. His appearance as the United States military intelligence officer Boris Pash stands as one of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s (Cillian Murphy) chief opponents when he attempts to clear his name of associations with the Communist party. Despite his limited screen time, Affleck shows how personal vindictiveness on Pash’s part put a great strain on Oppenheimer.
Heralded as both a box office and critical triumph,Oppenheimeris a modern classic that wrestles with the weight of history. While it’s grand in scope and features incredible recreations of historical events,Oppenheimeris also a deeply emotional character drama that examines the corrupting nature of power. Its anti-war themes are just as relevant now as they were during the period in which the film takes place.
Oppenheimer
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2‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ (2007)
Directed by Andrew Dominik
Although his performances were often overlooked,Affleck received his first Academy Award nomination for his role in the revisionist westernThe Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.Andrew Dominik’s historical thrillerexamines the relationship between the infamous outlaw Jesse James (Brad Pitt) and his starstruck admirer Robert Ford (Affleck). Affleck shows how Ford’s admiration turns to hatred once he finds that his hero doesn’t respect or acknowledge him.
While it’s certainly grounded in a very specific historical context,The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Fordspeaks to modern themes about the cult of personality that surrounds celebrities. It serves as a warning about the cyclical nature of violence, and how worshiping one’s hero can lead them down a very dark path. The stunning visuals by cinematographerRoger Deakinsare among the most stunning in film history.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
1‘Manchester by the Sea’ (2016)
Directed by Kenneth Lonergan
Manchester by the Seafinally won Affleck the Academy Award for Best Actor, but it was not simply a “career victory” that was not warranted. His powerful performance as the grieving father Lee Chandler is emotionally arresting, showing how loss can completely change someone’s personality. Although the film reveals details about Lee’s backstory through flashbacks, it’s Affleck’s secluded performance that makes the performance so heartbreaking.
While it may prove to betoo emotionally devastating to watch more than once,Manchester by the Seahas an important message about moving on from tragedy and reengaging with life.The film certainly does not stigmatize the grieving process, but does show how lingering in grief is ultimately unhelpful. WhileKenneth Lonergan’s brilliant screenplay is essential to the film’s success, it’s the towering performance by Affleck that makesManchester by the Seaa modern classic.
Manchester By the Sea
A depressed uncle is asked to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy’s father dies.
