In 1996, Ben Affleck thought one movie would have him “set for life”. 29 years later, he called it “utter garbage”

Ben Affleck recalled expecting the 1998 horror film *Phantoms* to secure his finances after earning $250,000 for the role. Instead, the film was poorly received, and he later described it as “utter garbage”, showing how a young actor’s hopes for a career-making payday did not match the result.

Affleck said his friend and collaborator Matt Damon was more selective about roles, while he accepted *Phantoms* partly because of its fee. The film was directed by Joe Chappelle and also starred Rose McGowan, Liev Schreiber and Peter O’Toole. It began production in October 1996, before *Good Will Hunting* was filmed; Affleck made the remarks in a career retrospective in April 2025.