Ben Affleck's Most Infamous Sci-Fi Flop Was Adapted From This Best-Selling Novel

Ben Affleck was excellent in "Phantoms." For that reason alone, you could argue that it's one of several '90s sci-fi horror movies that were unfairly hated by critics. However, Joe Chappelle's adaptation of Dean Koontz's 1993 novel is probably best remembered for being a gag in "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" rather than for anything else. "Phantoms" didn't exactly do big numbers at the box office, and it has since become a footnote in Affleck's career.

"Phantoms" sees Affleck share the screen with Peter O'Toole and Rose McGowan, who was fresh off "Scream" — one of the all-time great horror movies of the '90s — at the time. The story finds their characters stuck in an idyllic town where most of the residents have disappeared, which leads to them uncovering a plot involving creatures. Affleck plays the town's sheriff, with his "Dazed and Confused" co-star Nicky Katt portraying a deputy.

Koontz penned the screenplay for "Phantoms," but the film fails to recapture the magic of its source material. The original novel is a dense cosmic horror tale that draws heavy inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft's twisted tales, whereas the 1998 movie is a basic creature feature. Fortunately, "Phantoms" bombing didn't hurt Affleck's career. He rose to fame and acclaim shortly after with "Good Will Hunting," before moving on to other bigger and better things. Still, where does the actor rank "Phantoms" among his achievements?

Ben Affleck has mixed feelings about "Phantoms." As a piece of cinema, he doesn't see much value in the creature feature, but it also allowed him to work with one of his heroes. The experience of making the film was enjoyable in the grand scheme of things, so Affleck has no regrets about his early-career flop.

"I was, like, 20 years old. It's totally absurd," he told GQ. "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.'" "Phantoms" currently boasts a 9% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting that most viewers agree with Affleck's sentiments about the film being awful. That said, "Phantoms" is also one of those bad sci-fi movies that's still fun to watch, but the flick might have turned out better if it embraced more elements of Dean Koontz's original book.