There are few more fruitful creative partnerships than the one between Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Since appearing together in 1992’s School Ties, the close friends have worked together on and off-screen over the course of more than thirty years, resulting in critical acclaim and award success. Joe Carnahan’s The Rip reteams the two, and Good Will Hunting is their most famous collaboration; it’s the movie that put Damon on the map as an actor and won the duo their Best Original Screenplay Oscar. But the peak of their work together actually came in Kevin Smith‘s Dogma, which capitalized on their close chemistry and allowed for some surprising dramatic work.
‘Dogma’ Is Kevin Smith’s Theological Epic
Dogma is a mix of fantasy epic, theological drama, and stoner comedy in which Damon and Affleck play Loki and Bartleby, two fallen angels who find a loophole in Catholic doctrine that will allow them to be granted forgiveness for their sins and grant them access to Heaven. The only downside? If they succeed, it will prove God fallible and undo existence. The film’s sprawling ensemble is led by Linda Fiorentino, who plays a descendant of Christ on a mission to stop the angels. Along for her road trip is Alan Rickman as the voice of God, Chris Rock as the lost 13th apostle, and Jason Mewes and Smith returning to the View Askewniverse again as Jay and Silent Bob. George Carlin, Jason Lee, and Salma Hayek are also highlights.
But Damon and Affleck were the film’s most high-profile stars, and likely helped make the controversial film easier to sell to theaters. The duo were only two years off their Oscar win for Good Will Hunting when Dogma was released. The film continued Affleck’s participation with Smith; he had previously appeared in Mallrats and Chasing Amy, the latter of which also featured Damon in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it performance. Smith was also the producer of Good Will Hunting and helped bring Affleck and Damon’s script to Miramax. But while it might seem the buddies were doing Smith a solid, in return the writer-director created the opportunity for their best collaboration.
Affleck and Damon are On a Mission – But Not From God
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Dogma capitalizes on Affleck and Damon’s chemistry and camaraderie. Many of the movie’s funniest moments involve the two just hanging around, spitting Smith’s sharp and profane dialogue. They’re first seen lazing around an airport terminal in Wisconsin, arguing about Loki’s habit of messing with clergy and discussing their views on humanity. It’s here that Loki introduces his plan to reclaim their spot in Heaven, and the two discuss a scheme that could lead to the end of existence with the casualness of deciding where to get burgers. Big theological ideas are unpacked in breezy, crass dialogue, and the actors’ real-life friendship helps sell the idea that the two have a closeness that’s developed over an eternity of banishment. Damon and Affleck help make Dogma Kevin Smith’s best movie.
Smith has called Affleck the funniest person he knows, and he’s skilled at spouting the writer’s dialogue, combining a punchable snark with movie star charm. But Damon was just starting his career, and was largely known as a dramatic actor at the time. He gives one of his funniest performances in Dogma as Loki, true to his name, causes violent mischief on a quest to purge the world of sinners and earn brownie points with God. There’s a sinister twinkle in his eyes when he waltzes into the boardroom of a Disney-inspired conglomerate and proclaims judgment; after a violent altercation, Loki walks away from Bartleby rapping the lyrics to Run-DMC’s “Run’s House.” Affleck and Damon prove with Dogma that being award-winning stars hasn’t tempered their comedic impulses or willingness to play silly together.
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But Dogma also allows the two to push against each other and generate dramatic sparks. A reveal in the film that Bartleby, who previously mocked Loki’s plan, now wants to go beyond mere forgiveness and strike down God, is a surprisingly honest and searing moment that pits the two fallen angels against each other. Affleck sells the anger and heartbreak of someone who once basked in God’s presence and now feels ignored. It’s a surprisingly sincere scene for a comedy that also includes hockey stick-wielding demons and poop monsters. The moment puts a wedge between Loki and Bartleby, and the real-life friendship between Damon and Affleck makes that all the more shocking, leading up to the movie’s violent climax on the steps of a New Jersey church.
‘Dogma’ is Finally Available to Watch at Home
Affleck and Damon share the screen again in Netflix’s The Rip, but it’s also a great time to return to Dogma. After several years of being unavailable, Smith regained the rights and returned Dogma to theaters last year for a belated 25th anniversary celebration. The film is also available to buy on 4K and VOD services, and Smith recently said he has “cracked the story” for a potential sequel.
And it’s absolutely worth a look. Affleck and Damon’s partnership continues through their Artists Equity production shingle, which, in addition to The Rip, also allowed the pair to collaborate on 2023’s Air. But they’ve never been better together than when wreaking holy havoc.
Dogma is available to buy on VOD services in the U.S.
- Release Date
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November 12, 1999
- Runtime
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130 minutes
