Animals (2026 film)
In the high-stakes world of political ambition, a seemingly perfect life can unravel in an instant, revealing the moral compromises lurking beneath the surface. Ben Affleck's crime thriller, "Animals," plunges viewers into such a nightmare, where a mayoral candidate's desperate gamble turns into a fight for his family and his very soul. It's a tense, twist-filled ride that explores the dark side of power and the choices people make when pushed to the brink. A political candidate's ambition and a critical family secret collide when his son is kidnapped, forcing him into a series of impossible moral choices. The film masterfully twists expectations, revealing a mistaken identity in the abduction that forces the protagonist to weigh a stranger's life against his own career. "Animals" delves into themes of desperation, betrayal, and the shocking lengths individuals will go to protect their image and secure power, even at a devastating human cost.
AI Summary
In the high-stakes world of political ambition, a seemingly perfect life can unravel in an instant, revealing the moral compromises lurking beneath the surface. Ben Affleck's crime thriller, "Animals," plunges viewers into such a nightmare, where a mayoral candidate's desperate gamble turns into a fight for his family and his very soul. It's a tense, twist-filled ride that explores the dark side of power and the choices people make when pushed to the brink.
- A political candidate's ambition and a critical family secret collide when his son is kidnapped, forcing him into a series of impossible moral choices.
- The film masterfully twists expectations, revealing a mistaken identity in the abduction that forces the protagonist to weigh a stranger's life against his own career.
- "Animals" delves into themes of desperation, betrayal, and the shocking lengths individuals will go to protect their image and secure power, even at a devastating human cost.
A Campaign on the Brink
The story of "Animals" begins in Los Angeles, during the nail-biting final days of a mayoral race. Independent candidate Mark Kimball is teetering on the edge of defeat, desperate for a win that feels increasingly out of reach.
Urged by his savvy campaign manager, Sam, Mark makes a drastic decision: he sinks his family's entire life savings into a last-ditch effort to sway the Latin-American vote. He's convinced he'll recoup the money once he's in office — a gamble made without consulting his wife, Abigail.
A Family Divided
But Mark's political obsession has taken its toll on his marriage. Abigail has grown distant, finding solace in an affair with another man, Ron. Her own secret plan involves filing for divorce as soon as the election is over.
On Halloween night, a seemingly innocent tradition turns terrifying. The Kimballs' young son, Denny, goes trick-or-treating with their housekeeper Cecilia and her boyfriend Ramon's son, Hector. As darkness falls, Cecilia loses sight of the boys, unaware they're being watched by an unseen figure.
The Abduction
Back at the lavish Kimball mansion, an anonymous call shatters the fragile peace. A chilling voice threatens to kill Denny, demanding a staggering $7 million in cash by midnight. Proof arrives in the form of a photo: Denny, in his Halloween costume, unmistakably abducted.
Panic sets in. Mark reveals his devastating secret: their savings are gone, committed to the campaign. There's no way to get the ransom, even if they had the money. The kidnapper's warning is clear: involve the police, and Denny dies.
A Desperate Bargain
In this impossible situation, Sam offers a dangerous solution: hire a ruthless operative known only as "Dayle." Her fee is a steep 20% of the ransom, no matter the outcome. Desperate, the Kimballs agree, offering their mansion as collateral.
Then, a shocking twist: Denny returns home unharmed, completely unaware of the ordeal. When the kidnapper calls again, Mark's relief turns to anger, and he tries to negotiate Dayle's exorbitant fee. But the situation is far from over.
The Wrong Child
Cecilia and Ramon soon arrive, Cecilia reporting she was attacked. A new photograph arrives, revealing the devastating truth: the kidnappers took Hector, not Denny. The real victim is Ramon's son.
The kidnapper sends a recording of Mark refusing to pay for Hector. Sam warns that if this recording leaks, it would politically devastate Mark with Latino voters, effectively ending his mayoral campaign. Suddenly, the stakes are not just about a child's life, but Mark's entire future.
Dayle, ever pragmatic, offers a chilling alternative: have the kidnappers killed. Faced with political ruin and a moral quandary, the Kimballs agree to proceed with the ransom for Hector, negotiating to postpone payment until sunrise to protect Mark's safety.
Unraveling Secrets
Determined, Ramon sneaks to the kidnappers' lookout point above the mansion. He fails to subdue the lookout, who escapes and raises the ransom demand to $10 million. Dayle, unfazed, tells Mark to stick to their original agreement.
Back at the mansion, Mark stumbles upon Abigail's affair with Ron on her phone. Confronting her, he breaks down, apologizing for neglecting her amidst his political ambitions. In this moment of raw vulnerability, they begin to reconcile.
Abigail asks Mark what he truly wants. He admits he wants Dayle to kill the kidnappers but fears Abigail might use it against him. Abigail, in turn, reveals her desire to mend their marriage, and they find common ground.
The Deadly Exchange
When the kidnapper calls again, he directs Mark to a meeting in Frogtown, alone. Mark agrees but discreetly asks Dayle to follow. Abigail gives him her blessing, knowing the perilous path he's chosen.
During the drive, Mark and Dayle solidify their deadly plan. Believing there are two kidnappers, she demands an additional 20% to eliminate them. A recording implicating Mark in a murder conspiracy ensures his compliance. He accepts her terms.
Mark follows instructions to a desolate section of the Los Angeles River. Two men arrive with Hector. Dayle's associate shoots them, but a third, unseen kidnapper, a sniper, kills the associate and then Dayle herself. As the sniper approaches Mark, Ramon — who has been following, driven by a father's love — shoots him in the head.
Mark quickly retrieves Dayle's phone, securing the incriminating evidence of his involvement. The kidnapper had hinted at a personal vendetta against Mark, yet Mark doesn't recognize him, adding a layer of unsettling mystery to the violence.
A Hero's Façade
In a grim alliance, Ramon helps Mark conceal the bodies, allowing him to keep most of the ransom. Together, they craft a narrative for the public: Mark Kimball, the heroic mayor-elect, who bravely rescued Hector.
The staged heroism, coupled with the political implications of the rescue, creates a surge of support among Latino voters. Mark wins the mayoral race decisively, his path now clear for a future run at even higher political office—a victory built on a foundation of lies and blood.
Behind the Scenes
From Concept to Screen
The film was initially announced in January 2024, with Ben Affleck slated to direct and co-write, alongside Billy Ray and Matt Damon as the star. Early discussions even included Jennifer Garner for a role. Affleck commented on the benefit of working with his ex-wife, citing shared childcare schedules and her untapped acting potential.
However, Affleck experienced "cold feet" and delayed production, leading to a significant cast shake-up a year later. In February 2025, Damon left due to scheduling conflicts with "The Odyssey," and Affleck stepped into the lead role himself.
Kerry Washington replaced Jennifer Garner in the female lead. Affleck explained the change, noting Garner's concern about audience perception: "We don't wanna do that. You just get baggage." He wanted to avoid any real-life associations distracting from the film's narrative.
Joining Affleck and Washington were Gillian Anderson, Steven Yeun, Luis Gerardo Méndez, and Adriana Paz. Principal photography officially commenced on March 7, 2025, across various Los Angeles locations, bringing the intense thriller to life.
Critical Reception
Released on Netflix and in select theaters on October 9, 2026, "Animals" faced a harsh reception from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, only 32% of 62 reviews were positive, with an average rating of 5.4/10.
Metacritic, using a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 33 out of 100, based on 19 critics. This score indicated "generally unfavorable" reviews, suggesting that despite its star power and intriguing premise, the film struggled to resonate with critics.
Article
Animals (2026 film)
Animals is a 2026 American crime thriller film directed by Ben Affleck and written by Affleck, Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray. It stars Affleck, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Adriana Paz with Luis Gerardo Méndez, and Steven Yeun. The film received negative reviews from critics.
Plot
Animals (2026 film)
In the final days of the Los Angeles mayoral race, independent candidate Mark Kimball faces a narrow defeat. At his campaign manager Sam's urging, Mark commits his remaining life savings to an aggressive outreach effort targeting the Latin-American vote, expecting to recover the money after winning the election. He does not consult his wife, Abigail, before signing away their savings. Meanwhile, Abigail has grown distant from Mark during his campaign, begun an affair with Ron, and plans to file for divorce after the election.
On Halloween, the Kimballs' son Denny goes trick-or-treating with their housekeeper Cecilia and her boyfriend Ramon's son, Hector. Ramon leaves to find work in the neighborhood, entrusting Cecilia with the boys. As night falls, Cecilia loses sight of them while an unidentified figure watches her.
At the Kimball mansion, Mark tries to involve Abigail more in his campaign. Their conversation is interrupted by an anonymous caller threatening to kill Denny. Abigail panics when she cannot reach Cecilia, and the kidnapper sends a photograph of Denny in his Halloween costume as proof of the abduction. He demands $7 million in cash by midnight and warns that he is watching the mansion and will kill the boy if the police are involved. Mark explains to Abigail that he has already committed their savings to his campaign and could not obtain the ransom in time even if the money were available.
Sam proposes hiring an operative known as "Dayle" to deliver the ransom and deal with the kidnappers. She demands a 20% fee regardless of the outcome, and the Kimballs agree to use their mansion as collateral. Denny returns home unharmed, unaware of the kidnapping plot. When the kidnapper calls again, Mark angrily dismisses his demands and attempts to negotiate Dayle's fee.
Cecilia and Ramon soon arrive, with Cecilia reporting that she was attacked. A new photograph reveals that the kidnappers mistakenly abducted Hector instead of Denny. The kidnapper also sends a recording of Mark refusing to pay the ransom for Hector, which Sam warns would devastate Mark's standing among Latino voters and ruin his electoral prospects if released. After Dayle offers to have the kidnappers killed, the Kimballs agree to proceed with the ransom, negotiating to postpone payment until sunrise to protect Mark's safety. Mark and Sam then attend a campaign event with Dayle to maintain appearances.
Determined to rescue his son, Ramon sneaks away to the kidnappers' lookout point above the mansion. He fails to subdue the lookout, who escapes and calls Mark to raise the ransom demand to $10 million. Dayle instructs Mark to maintain their original agreement as they return to the mansion. There, Mark discovers Abigail's affair with Ron on her phone and confronts her. He breaks down, apologizing for making her feel secondary to his political ambitions before confirming the $7 million ransom with the kidnapper and agreeing to await further instructions.
As they wait for the next call, Abigail asks Mark to be honest about what he wants. Mark admits that he wants Dayle to kill the kidnappers but fears Abigail might later use his involvement against him. Abigail reveals that she wants to repair their marriage, and they reconcile. When the kidnapper calls, he directs Mark to a meeting in Frogtown. Mark agrees to go alone but asks Dayle to follow him. Abigail gives him her blessing before he leaves.
During the drive, Mark discusses Dayle's proposal. Believing that the kidnappers are two men, she demands an additional 20% fee to kill them. She plays a recording that implicates Mark in conspiracy to commit murder should he refuse to pay. Mark accepts her terms and follows the kidnappers' instructions to a section of the Los Angeles River. Two men arrive with Hector to take the money. Dayle's associate shoots them from a distance, but a third kidnapper kills the associate from a sniper's position, then shoots Dayle when she arrives to retrieve the money. As the sniper approaches Mark to kill him, Ramon shoots him in the head. Mark retrieves Dayle's phone before she dies, securing the evidence of his involvement in the murder conspiracy. Although the kidnapper had hinted at a personal grudge against Mark, Mark does not recognize him.
In exchange for allowing him to keep most of the ransom, Ramon helps Mark conceal the bodies of everyone except the sniper. The Kimballs and Ramon then present a version of events to the public that portrays Mark as the hero who rescued Hector. The resulting surge in support among Latino voters enables Mark to win the mayoral race decisively, positioning him for a future run for higher political office.
Production
Development
The film was announced in January 2024, with Ben Affleck directing, with original screenplay were co-written by Affleck, Billy Ray and Matt Damon starring. In February, Jennifer Garner was in talks to join the film. Filming was scheduled to begin in March 2024 in Los Angeles. On casting ex-wife Garner opposite Damon, Affleck said: "I thought, 'God, Jen Garner would be amazing for this role.' It also has the added benefit of, like, both of us will see our kids more because we do a week and a week and back and forth. I thought, well, we can coordinate our schedules around it. She could bring something interesting that she hasn't [done], that I kind of know she can do, that I don't think she had a chance to do in one movie." Gillian Anderson and Steven Yeun were also quietly cast around this time, however Affleck ultimately decided to delay the production just before filming began after getting cold feet.
A year later, in February 2025, production reignited with Damon no longer part of the cast, due to his commitment to The Odyssey, with Affleck himself taking on the lead role, and Anderson officially joining the cast. Kerry Washington (replacing Garner), Yeun, Luis Gerardo Méndez, and Adriana Paz also joined the cast in February. On replacing Garner with Washington after stepping into the lead role himself, Affleck later elaborated: "I talked to Jen, and she was like, 'We don't wanna do that. You just get baggage,'... I still would wanna work with her in the future, but what you don't wanna do is take the audience's baggage and have it work against you, you know?" In March, Ray Fisher, Mark Kassen, and Christopher Woodley joined the cast.
Filming
Principal photography began on March 7, 2025 in Los Angeles.
Release
Animals (2026 film)
Animals was released on Netflix and in select theaters on October 9, 2026.
Reception
Animals (2026 film)
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 32% of 62 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.4/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 33 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.