2010’s The Town is currently trending on Hulu and remains one of Ben Affleck’s best crime thrillers. Though the popular director’s Oscar win with Argo can often overshadow his other films, Affleck's early crime movies hold their weight against his recent releases. The Town was the actor’s second adapted screenplay and director role, helping establish Affleck’s reputation as one of Hollywood’s most skilled players.

Arguably one of the best heist movies, The Town presents a nuanced performance where he portrays a criminal in Charlestown aching for a way out. Doug McRay’s life comes spiraling out when, after robbing a bank, he falls in love with the woman aiding the FBI to pin his friend to the crime. The Town’s theatrical and alternate endings have the tension escalate and live up to the rest of the film, which is now a streaming stand-out even after 15 years.

Ben Affleck's The Town Is Trending On Hulu – Why It's Still One Of His Best Movies

The Town Foreshadowed Ben Affleck's Promising Future As A Director And Writer

One of the best movies on Hulu right now, The Town is currently trending alongside Amber Alert, Amy Adams’ Nightbitch, and the TV show Beyond The Headlines: The Tanya Kach Story. Based on Chuck Hogan’s Prince of Thieves, the movie delves deep into Charlestown’s reputation as once the city with the most bank robbers and armored car thieves. Honoring its name, the characters’ hometown echoes in their criminal and personal histories, from which they cannot seem to detach themselves.

The Town received five nominations at the Critics' Choice Awards — among them Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture, and Best Acting Ensemble — and included Jeremy Renner’s second (and last) Academy nomination for Best ing Actor.

Talents Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm, Rebecca Hall, and Blake Lively elevate Affleck’s craft, creating a thrilling dynamic where betrayal and loyalty go hand in hand. The movie brags more than a strong cast — having a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score that speaks of the seasoned creator’s domination of narrative, directing, and performance. A touching romantic crime thriller at its core, The Town also navigates themes of addiction, redemption, and resilience, and likens Ben Affleck’s most recent movie trend.

Ben Affleck's Acting & Directing In The Town Set The Stage For Argo's Oscars Wins 2 Years Later

After The Town, Ben Afflect Was Ready For A Bigger Challenge

The Town’s heist elements received expert ratings, as Affleck stepped up from his directorial debut with Gone Baby Gone to produce an authentic crime thriller that subverts the genre in the best ways. Though he didn’t act in Gone Baby Gone, in The Town, Affleck proved he could direct more than one great story and deliver an astonishing performance at the same time. Portraying a blue-collar raised criminal, the actor was unrecognizable, wearing a slick Boston accent and a strong aura of tragedy.

Just two years after The Town, Affleck took on a bigger challenge and, once again, demonstrated himself capable of mastering storytelling. Based on Tony Mendez’s memoir, Argo depicts the real efforts of CIA ing as a film crew to rescue six Americans during the 1979 crisis in Tehran, Iran. With Argo, Affleck received a total of seven Academy Award nominations, winning three of them, including Best Picture.

The Town Ended A Disappointing 12-Year Streak For Ben Affleck

The Town's Streaming Success Confirms It's Still One Of Ben Affleck's Best Movies

Though he has directed and starred in a few other popular films since then, The Town remains Affleck’s first great movie since Good Will Hunting, Pearl Harbor, and Shakespeare in Love. Notably, Affleck never really took a break from acting, however, many of his roles before The Town are good but not memorable, and are often forgotten in the category of Ben Affleck’s underrated movies. 2010 saw the experienced artist write and direct himself for a fantastic leading part, paving the way for some of the actor’s most iconic characters.

The actor’s affecting performance in The Town eased Ben Affleck into key roles that defined his career, even preparing him for his embodiment of the Dark Knight himself Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as well as his performance as a suspicious husband in Gone Girl. Those who have enjoyed Affleck’s latest movies will appreciate seeing one of his early best. Even if it features blood-pumping robbery and chase sequences, The Town successfully sets itself apart from other heist movies, centering on the characters’ complicated but lasting bonds, which have long made it a streaming success.