# Animals (2026 film)

**Animals** is a 2026 American crime thriller film directed by, co-written by, and starring [Ben Affleck](https://www.edgepedia.org/ben-affleck), released in select theaters and on Netflix on October 9, 2026.<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-ben-affleck-release-date-photos-news)</sup> Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate, and his wife must raise a $7 million ransom while concealing potentially destructive secrets after Hector, the son of Ramon, who is in a relationship with their housekeeper Cecilia, is kidnapped on the eve of the campaign's climax.<sup>[2](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-ending-explained?inapp=trueOs)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[18](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-ending-explained)</sup> The film is the second screen adaptation of [Akira Kurosawa](https://www.edgepedia.org/akira-kurosawa)'s 1963 classic *High and Low* released within about a year, following [Spike Lee](https://www.edgepedia.org/spike-lee)'s 2025 *Highest 2 Lowest*.<sup>[3](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/animals-ben-affleck-goes-for-broke-in-netflix-kidnapping-caper)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | Select theaters and Netflix, October 9, 2026 (United States)<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-ben-affleck-release-date-photos-news)</sup> |
| Director and star | Ben Affleck, his sixth feature as director; he also produced and co-wrote the script<sup>[4](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/ben-affleck-interview-animals-netflix/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-cast-guide)</sup> |
| Lead cast | Ben Affleck, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Steven Yeun, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Adriana Paz, Ray Fisher, Matt Gerald<sup>[6](https://www.netflix.com/title/81757047)</sup> |
| Premise | Mayoral candidate Mark Kimball's son is not kidnapped; the ransom demand is $7 million, and the kidnappers have taken Hector, the son of Ramon, instead<sup>[2](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-ending-explained?inapp=trueOs)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[18](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-ending-explained)</sup> |
| Runtime and rating | 106 minutes; rated R by the Motion Picture Association for language throughout, some violence, and sexual references<sup>[7](https://apnews.com/article/edf5cc8f413a4cfaad1bd7e62b707d62)</sup> |
| Source | Second adaptation of Akira Kurosawa's *High and Low* (1963), after Spike Lee's *Highest 2 Lowest* (2025)<sup>[3](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/animals-ben-affleck-goes-for-broke-in-netflix-kidnapping-caper)</sup> |
| Reception | 32% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (72 reviews) and 38% on the Popcornmeter (500+ ratings)<sup>[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/animals_2026)</sup> |

## Plot

Mark Kimball (Ben Affleck) is an independent candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, a wealthy lawyer and [Gulf War](https://www.edgepedia.org/gulf-war) veteran whose campaign has drained his family's finances; his campaign manager Sam ([Steven Yeun](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-yeun)) has him take out a loan against his inheritance to stay competitive.<sup>[3](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/animals-ben-affleck-goes-for-broke-in-netflix-kidnapping-caper)</sup> On Halloween night, his preteen son Denny (Christopher Woodley) goes trick-or-treating with Hector (Jacob Estrada), the son of the family's housekeeper Cecilia (Adriana Paz) and her boyfriend Ramon (Luis Gerardo Méndez), an undocumented worker.<sup>[3](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/animals-ben-affleck-goes-for-broke-in-netflix-kidnapping-caper)</sup> A caller with a modulated voice then tells Mark and his wife Abigail ([Kerry Washington](https://www.edgepedia.org/kerry-washington)) that Denny has been taken and will be returned for $7 million in cash.<sup>[2](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-ending-explained?inapp=trueOs)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[9](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/oct/08/animals-movie-review-ben-affleck)</sup>

Because Mark has borrowed against everything he has, the couple cannot raise the money themselves. On Sam's advice they call in Dayle Burton ([Gillian Anderson](https://www.edgepedia.org/gillian-anderson)), a mysterious crisis fixer who takes the deed to their home as a down payment on her fee and pushes them toward choices that compromise Mark's public pledges against corruption.<sup>[7](https://apnews.com/article/edf5cc8f413a4cfaad1bd7e62b707d62)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-ending-explained?inapp=trueOs)</sup> In a mid-film twist, the kidnappers have taken the wrong boy: not Denny but Hector.<sup>[2](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-ending-explained?inapp=trueOs)</sup> The same wrong-child twist drives Kurosawa's original and Lee's remake, and Netflix barred pre-release reviewers from revealing it.<sup>[3](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/animals-ben-affleck-goes-for-broke-in-netflix-kidnapping-caper)</sup> Affleck told Netflix's Tudum that the film asks whether people have a real moral compass or simply act in their own interests and build a story around it.<sup>[2](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-ending-explained?inapp=trueOs)</sup>

## Cast

Affleck assembled a cast around the question of what his characters are like when their masks come off, saying he looked for actors he admired and wanted to collaborate with.<sup>[5](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-cast-guide)</sup> Kerry Washington plays Abigail, a mother in agony whose own secret affair threatens both the marriage and the campaign.<sup>[2](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-ending-explained?inapp=trueOs)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[10](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/ben-affleck-animals-co-stars-luis-gerardo-mendez-adrian-paz-talk-mexican-american-experience)</sup> Gillian Anderson plays the fixer Dayle Burton, a brief but widely noticed role; the Associated Press critic wrote that Anderson elevates the film even when handed lines like "Humans are animals that tell stories."<sup>[7](https://apnews.com/article/edf5cc8f413a4cfaad1bd7e62b707d62)</sup> Steven Yeun plays campaign manager Sam, and Luis Gerardo Méndez and Adriana Paz play Ramon and Cecilia, whose family becomes central once the kidnapping error is revealed.<sup>[6](https://www.netflix.com/title/81757047)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[10](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/ben-affleck-animals-co-stars-luis-gerardo-mendez-adrian-paz-talk-mexican-american-experience)</sup> Méndez and Paz told CinemaBlend that the film's depiction of the Mexican-American experience, including Ramon's difficulty finding work because of his immigration status, was a meaningful part of the story.<sup>[10](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/ben-affleck-animals-co-stars-luis-gerardo-mendez-adrian-paz-talk-mexican-american-experience)</sup>

## Development and casting

The film was written by Affleck with Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray, and produced in partnership with [Artists Equity](https://www.edgepedia.org/artists-equity), the studio founded by Affleck, Matt Damon, and Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital.<sup>[7](https://apnews.com/article/edf5cc8f413a4cfaad1bd7e62b707d62)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-ben-affleck-release-date-photos-news)</sup> Production took place in and around Los Angeles, which the producers described as an integral part of the story.<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-ben-affleck-release-date-photos-news)</sup>

**A near-cancellation.** Affleck originally planned to direct only, with [Matt Damon](https://www.edgepedia.org/matt-damon) and [Jennifer Garner](https://www.edgepedia.org/jennifer-garner) in the lead roles.<sup>[4](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/ben-affleck-interview-animals-netflix/)</sup> Damon dropped out because of scheduling conflicts with his film *The Odyssey* (2026), and Affleck took the lead role himself.<sup>[11](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31049299)</sup> Garner also left the project; TheWrap reported that she bowed out over concern that audiences would read too much into the marital dynamics, since she would have been playing the wife of her real-life ex-husband, and Kerry Washington was cast instead.<sup>[4](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/ben-affleck-interview-animals-netflix/)</sup> Separately, when Affleck learned shortly before shooting that Spike Lee and [Denzel Washington](https://www.edgepedia.org/denzel-washington) were making a kidnapping film with the same twist, he paused production; he told *Entertainment Weekly* that the news "freaked" him out enough to halt work on the political thriller.<sup>[12](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/animals-ben-affleck-nearly-canceled/)</sup>

## Artificial intelligence in production

Affleck founded the AI company [InterPositive](https://www.edgepedia.org/interpositive) and sold it to Netflix for nearly $600 million earlier in 2026.<sup>[13](https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/tech/ben-affleck-walks-back-matt-damons-claim-netflix-demanded-plot-repetition-in-dialogue/)</sup> Many InterPositive employees worked on *Animals*, and AI technology trained only on the film's own footage was used in post-production, for tasks Affleck described as adjusting the lighting or optics of a shot and removing visual effects without eliminating jobs.<sup>[4](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/ben-affleck-interview-animals-netflix/)</sup> Speaking at a Screentime panel, Affleck said he had used AI "for lots of things" in the film but was hesitant to specify them, comparing disclosure to a magician revealing his tricks, and called the work a good example of ethical AI use.<sup>[14](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/thriller-movies/ben-affleck-used-ai-for-lots-of-things-in-his-new-netflix-movie-but-is-hesitant-to-point-out-what-they-are/)</sup> The Associated Press noted that it was difficult to tell where the technology appears, while criticizing the film itself as visually flat.<sup>[7](https://apnews.com/article/edf5cc8f413a4cfaad1bd7e62b707d62)</sup>

## Reception

Critical response was largely negative. On Rotten Tomatoes the film held a 32% Tomatometer from 72 reviews and a 38% Popcornmeter score from more than 500 audience ratings.<sup>[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/animals_2026)</sup> Reviewers repeatedly compared it unfavorably to its source material. Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com called it Affleck's worst directorial effort, a film that had lost theme, focus, character, and tension through repeated rewrites.<sup>[15](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/animals-ben-affleck-netflix-movie-review-2026)</sup> The Guardian's Jesse Hassenger described a listless, anonymous effort that resembles many other, better films.<sup>[9](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/oct/08/animals-movie-review-ben-affleck)</sup> The Associated Press gave it two stars out of four, finding it narratively underpowered and short of the propulsion of Kurosawa's original.<sup>[7](https://apnews.com/article/edf5cc8f413a4cfaad1bd7e62b707d62)</sup> [The Daily Beast](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-daily-beast)'s Nick Schager called it unoriginal and suspense-free.<sup>[3](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/animals-ben-affleck-goes-for-broke-in-netflix-kidnapping-caper)</sup> Some reviews were more measured: Tom's Guide ranked it among the year's better Netflix originals while criticizing a plot-driven ending, and CinemaExpress praised the cast's performances, particularly Washington's, while judging the story's core empty.<sup>[16](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/netflix/netflixs-new-ben-affleck-movie-is-its-best-original-thriller-since-the-rip-but-its-no-gone-girl)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[17](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/english/review/2026/Oct/09/animals-movie-review-a-tall-leap-which-ends-up-stumbling-on-the-ground)</sup>

## References

1. [Animals: Release Date, Photos, Plot of Ben Affleck Thriller, Netflix Tudum](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-ben-affleck-release-date-photos-news)
2. [Animals Ending Explained: Who Was Kidnapped?, Netflix Tudum](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-ending-explained?inapp=trueOs)
3. [Ben Affleck Goes for Broke in Netflix Kidnapping Caper, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/animals-ben-affleck-goes-for-broke-in-netflix-kidnapping-caper)
4. [Ben Affleck on the Original Version of Animals, Using AI, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/ben-affleck-interview-animals-netflix/)
5. [Animals Cast Guide, Netflix Tudum](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-cast-guide)
6. [Animals, Netflix Official Site](https://www.netflix.com/title/81757047)
7. [Movie Review: In Ben Affleck's 'Animals,' a kidnapping threatens a mayoral campaign, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/edf5cc8f413a4cfaad1bd7e62b707d62)
8. [Animals (2026), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/animals_2026)
9. [Animals review, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/oct/08/animals-movie-review-ben-affleck)
10. [Ben Affleck's Animals Nails This One Major Part Of The Mexican-American Experience, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/ben-affleck-animals-co-stars-luis-gerardo-mendez-adrian-paz-talk-mexican-american-experience)
11. [Animals (2026), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31049299)
12. [The Reason Ben Affleck Almost Canceled His New Netflix Movie 'Animals', What's on Netflix](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/animals-ben-affleck-nearly-canceled/)
13. [Ben Affleck Walks Back Matt Damon's 'Claim' Netflix Demanded Plot Repetition in Dialogue, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/tech/ben-affleck-walks-back-matt-damons-claim-netflix-demanded-plot-repetition-in-dialogue/)
14. [Ben Affleck used AI for "lots of things" in his new Netflix movie, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/thriller-movies/ben-affleck-used-ai-for-lots-of-things-in-his-new-netflix-movie-but-is-hesitant-to-point-out-what-they-are/)
15. [Animals review, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/animals-ben-affleck-netflix-movie-review-2026)
16. [Netflix's new Ben Affleck movie is its best original thriller since 'The Rip', Tom's Guide](https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/netflix/netflixs-new-ben-affleck-movie-is-its-best-original-thriller-since-the-rip-but-its-no-gone-girl)
17. [Animals Movie Review, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/english/review/2026/Oct/09/animals-movie-review-a-tall-leap-which-ends-up-stumbling-on-the-ground)
18. [Animals Ending Explained: How Does Ben Affleck Take On a Vindictive Kidnapper?](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/animals-ending-explained)

---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Crime, thriller, and mystery films (individual works) › 2025–2026 films › Crime, heist, and gangster films*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license