Ben Affleckhas made some fantastic movies in his career, but by his own admission he has also made some “utter garbage.” During a recent piece forGQ, Affleck named one of the movies he believes is very high on the list of his worst films: 1998 moviePhantoms.
Despite having a string of impressive hits to his name, including the Oscar-winningGood Will Hunting, Affleck addressed his role in the $5.8 million-grossing movie, which was adapted from the U.S.’ otheroccasional horror author, Dean Koontz, and starred Peter O’Toole, Rose McGowan, Live Schreiber, and Joanna Going. The storyline sees Affleck taking on the role of a sheriff in a sleepy Colorado town investigating some strange goings-on – honestly, this is not a Stephen King story.
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For Affleck’s part, he really loved working with the people involved in the movie, but didn’t quite enjoy the movie itself so much. However, it did have some positives about it. He said:
“I was the bomb at Phantoms. Everyone knows that. Peter O’Toole, by the way. Peter O’Toole signed my Lawrence of Arabia poster. That’s out there on Phantoms. Nicky Katt, Liev Schreiber, I loved doing that movie … Well, no, I didn’t love doing that movie, but I like those people.
“The movie was a sewer monster movie, let’s face it, and I was a sheriff in Colorado. I was, like, 20 years old. It’s totally absurd. The movie was utter garbage but I did get to ski. I made, like, $100,000, so I was like, ‘I’m set for life, I’m retiring.’ And I met Peter O’Toole and, like, got stoned with Peter O’Toole. I was like, ‘What else happens in my life that tops this? Nothing’.”
Is ‘Phantoms’ One of Ben Affleck’s Worst Movies?
It is hard to really countPhantomsamong the best of any category of movie. The film landed just a 9% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a less than spectacular 28% from audiences.
Affleck’s appraisal ofPhantomscertainly ties up with the way many people felt about the film, including some of those who were familiar with Koontz’s novel and, just like many horror adaptations of the 80s and 90s, didn’t feel that the 95-minute offering did it justice. It does seem that Affleck could be being a little harsh on himself, as in the main the reviews do not particularly lay into the cast as much as the film’s convoluted plot and unsatisfying ending.
As both an actor and director, Affleck has always been happy to call out the movies he has been involved in that don’t exactly meet expectations. FromGiglitoDaredevil, Affleck’s list of past duds is something he is very aware of, and in the main he has managed to steer away from too many in recent years. Currently, he is starring inthe new action movieThe Accountant 2, which reunites him with Jon Bernthal in a sequel to his 2018 hit.
