Ben Affleck’s ‘Air’ beats Denzel Washington’s ‘Equalizer 3’ in the best 100 movie list of 2023.

2023 has been a great year for movies with exciting titles across genres hitting theaters or streaming platforms.

Like an ocean of titles released this year, it is almost impossible to watch every movie in the same year. But as the year is ending, it is worth reflecting on a Ben Affleck movie that deserves attention.

Ben Affleck in Air (2023)

Affleck’s Air was not a box-office dominator, perhaps it was not designed to be. Rather, the Prime Video movie was for select audiences after being released in only a few select theaters. Regardless, the movie was well-received by critics and has recently occupied a spot in the top ten movie list.

Air Beats Equalizer 3 Making It Into The Top Ten Movies of 2023

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in Air

Ben Affleck directed and starred biographical sports drama Air had an astonishing critical reception with a striking 93% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Under the banner of Warner Bros. Pictures and Amazon Studios, Air was made with $90 million following the true story of young Michael Jordan’s collaboration with Nike’s fledgling basketball division.

Alongside Affleck who played Phil Knight, billionaire and co-founder and chairman emeritus of Nike, Inc., Air also stars Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Matthew Maher, Viola Davis, and co. For many critics, Air is an important film, a reflection of the unexplored story of history associated with Jordan and Nike.

The movie has already received several accolades and it is Affleck’s prowess to bring the movie to a top ten list. In Ranker’s 100 Best Movies of 2023, Air sits at the tenth spot beating Denzel Washington’s Equalizer 3 which ranks 13th spot in the list.

Ben Affleck on Playing Phil Knight in Air

Ben Affleck as Phil Knight in Air

Affleck has been an all-rounder in Hollywood, the actor-director casts himself in his own movie to play Phil Knight. Of course, it is not the first time he has done that. His appearance in Argo in the title role was outstanding as hailed by many critics and fans alike. But for Affleck, “Phil is an interesting guy,” as he told The Hollywood Reporter.

“So here’s this guy [Phil Knight]. He talks about Buddhism, Eastern philosophy. He also talks about being a ruthless capitalist. So right there, I think this is a guy of many contradictions, which is fun to play. There’s a tension between having once been the entrepreneur, the guy selling shoes out of your car, and now running a big company, being responsible for everyone’s jobs.

That’s a real change. And how do you reconcile that? The way he vacillates [about spending to sign Michael Jordan] but in the end goes for it. When we tested the movie in Vegas, people cheered. I was happy because I thought, ‘Good, they get it.’”

But the Oscar winner did not expect the audience “to stand up and cheer for Phil Knight.” Adding further he said, “I think it speaks to the fact that in this culture, we venerate capitalists. It’s our version of the divine right of kings.” Air would be another masterful ‘based on true events’ credit for Affleck after Argo. Air is available to stream on Prime Video.