Binge Watch: Matt and Ben

The new movie Air dropped yesterday. It was directed by Ben Affleck and stars Affleck and Matt Damon. This isn’t the first time the friends and frequent collaborators have shared the screen. In honor of their latest film, this week’s Binge looks back at four classic films that feature Matt and Ben. The films below appear in chronological order.

School Ties (1992)
About: This film finds Matt and Ben as students as a fancy prep school in the 1950s. The cast includes Brendan Fraser, arguably the star, as well as Cole Hauser, Anthony Rapp and Chris O’Donnell, among others. It’s about racism and conflict among a group of students. In it, Matt is the villain and Ben is a background player. It’s a decent performance from Damon, who you can see will soon become a star.

Good Will Hunting (1997)
About: Directed by Gus Van Sant, this film made Matt and Ben Oscar winners for their script. It focuses on a brilliant mathematician (Damon) who is from South Boston and working as a low-level janitor at MIT. Damon is great, but I really think Affleck gives an under-rated performance as his friend, Chuckie. The script crackles with a number of great speeches. It’s also a beautiful showcase for Robin Williams.

Dogma (1999)
About: Affleck was long a featured player in the films of Kevin Smith. Damon appears in several with him, but this is the one that’s really about these two and their characters. I enjoy many of Smith’s films, and I’ve enjoyed Affleck in them, but this isn’t my favorite. Here, Matt and Ben play fallen angels. This film is a little political, but it’s also meant to be edgy. Matt and Ben are having fun, at least.

The Last Duel (2021)
About: After years of building their own presence on screen, Matt and Ben came back together to star in this film based on a true story and directed by Ridley Scott. It was a fascinating tale, one in which Damon played a lead character. But Affleck’s character was just more fun. In fact, he was kind of the most fun thing in the film.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.