Stephen King Loves A Ben Affleck Crime Thriller Everyone Needs To Watch At Least Once

World-famous horror novelist Stephen King once raved about the Ben Affleck-helmed film "The Town," a 2010 Boston-set neo-noir crime thriller. King labeled it his second favorite film of 2010 in a year-end round up for Entertainment Weekly at the time, even ranking it above other acclaimed titles like "Inception" and "The Social Network." "Bad title, fantastic movie," said King. "Affleck understands the sad and seedy underclass of Boston ... in a special way."

The film, which Affleck directed, co-wrote, and starred in, revolves around a group of bank robbers from Boston's Charlestown neighborhood, aka The Town. When their ringleader (Affleck) falls for a bank manager (Rebecca Hall), who the team initially took hostage to learn what she told the FBI, the tight-knit band of thieves begins to unravel, leading to one last make-or-break heist.

"For a movie that ends with a gaudy blast of gunfire, it's a strangely intimate film," said King, "and the situation that drives the plot (professional bank thief falls in love with hostage) is simultaneously sweet and weirdly kinky."

The switch from acting to directing can be a tricky one to navigate, but, for a time at least, Ben Affleck certainly made the transition work in his favor. "The Town" was released in between Affleck's critically acclaimed 2007 directorial debut "Gone Baby Gone" and his 2012 best picture-winning political espionage thriller "Argo," solidifying a particularly prolific time in the actor-turned-director's career.

The film raked in $154 million worldwide on a $37 million budget and was nominated for multiple awards, including a best supporting actor nod for Renner at the Academy Awards. The movie still holds up in the realm of gritty heist films, with its 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes ushering it into modern-classic territory.

Aside from "Argo," Affleck has only directed two other films since "The Town" as of this writing. However, neither the 2016 prohibition-era set "Live By Night" nor 2023's "Air," which delved into the origins of Nike's Air Jordan shoe line, drummed up the same level of excitement as his previous directorial endeavors.