2. Surviving Christmas (2004)
Someone somewhere is working on a documentary called "Surviving Surviving Christmas", because pretty much nobody gets out alive in this inspired Christmas comedy, least of all Affleck who, in a rare turn, is actually pretty unlikeable and charmless as advertising executive Drew Latham, a Scrooge-type character who of course comes to learn the true meaning of Christmas. Still, it does not play to Affleck's natural strengths as an actor; here is forced to play a repugnant caricature, going fully over-the-top with his character's inherent lack of humanity, that when things finally start to slot into place, we frankly still think he's a giant douche. Even more so than Reindeer Games, this feels like someone making a film because they lost a bet or owe someone; it is entirely devoid of anything that makes a film worthwhile, though serves as a potent reminder that within less than a decade, you can go from this to being a likely Best Director nominee. Anything is possible.