Affleck Champions Overlooked Crime Thriller as Cinema Gold

Internet culture has this weird habit of assuming Ben Affleck lacks intelligence until he proves otherwise. Which he does, repeatedly. Sure, nobody could have predicted his main contribution to online culture would be endless 'Sad Affleck' memes capturing his public misery. But that's probably his only failed prediction.

The two-time Oscar winner called the future of subscription-based entertainment back in 2003. Years before Netflix went digital and Spotify existed. His recent thoughts on artificial intelligence suggest he'll be right again about tech's trajectory. He gave a detailed breakdown of why AI doomsayers are wrong. His track record suggests he knows what he's talking about.

Career Choices and Hidden Intelligence

Affleck's career decisions tell a different story. Gigli, Surviving Christmas, Reindeer Games. No intelligent person would greenlight those projects. Even if he was the bomb in Phantoms. But here's the thing: he became the youngest Best Original Screenplay Oscar winner at 25. Since he played the less bright character in Good Will Hunting, that perception stuck.

The actor-turned-filmmaker knows movies inside and out. His definition of 'underrated' might raise eyebrows though. In a discussion with Alamo Drafthouse about influential films, Affleck made his case for a modern crime thriller that broke a director's career, earned Oscar nominations, and made nearly $330 mn worldwide.

The Case for Seven

'I think Seven is probably one of the great underrated kind of masterpieces,' he explained. 'I think people don't include it sometimes in the lists they make of great movies because it's a serial killer movie, and people go, 'It's like horror'. It's actually, I think, one of the best constructed movies ever made.'

Affleck continued his analysis: 'The screenplay, the execution, the performances, they all work beautifully in concert with one another. The acting is great. The plot and the reveal and the tension actually have a reveal and a point. There's a denouement that's incredibly resonant. It's iconic. It's stayed with us.'

Praise for Fincher's Direction

Every point Affleck makes holds water. Seven might not qualify as a masterpiece for everyone, but it ranks among the most gripping crime stories of the past thirty years. Affleck saved his highest praise for director David Fincher, who later directed him in Gone Girl.

'David Fincher is as good as anybody who's ever done this job,' Affleck added. That statement invites debate, but Fincher certainly belongs among today's elite filmmakers. The Batman actor's insights remind us that sometimes the most obvious choices get overlooked in favor of more obscure selections.