Animals (2026). Ben Affleck made a thriller that split critics down the middle

Mark Kimball is running for mayor of Los Angeles. He is a wealthy lawyer, a Gulf War veteran, a model family man. At least that is how it looks in public. His wife Abby is having an affair on the side. His political adviser Sam is looking for campaign money. And his housekeeper Cecilia asks for a job for her undocumented fiancé.

On Halloween night, Mark and Abby's son is kidnapped. They demand seven million dollars. The problem is all the money already went to the election campaign. The couple has a few hours to find the ransom and not lose everything.

The script is based on Akira Kurosawa's classic 1963 film High and Low. This is important to know, because the film largely repeats the plot of the Japanese original, but moves it to modern Los Angeles.

What Works

Gillian Anderson. She plays a mysterious fixer named Dayle Burton. She wears a white suit, charges 1.4 million dollars per job and demands double pay if she has to use kinetic energy. The Hollywood Reporter writes that every time Anderson appears on screen, the film gains a sharp edge. She is the only one who understood this is not a serious drama but a pulpy entertainment. And it works.

Kerry Washington. She plays Abby. Her character is torn between betrayal, fear for her son and hatred of her own life. The Guardian notes that Washington can overact even a whisper. But even if that is not a compliment, she definitely does not look indifferent.

The atmosphere. The cinematography creates the feeling that you are trapped with the characters. Dirty colours, tense rhythm, constant calls from the kidnapper. Some critics compare it to Nightcrawler with Jake Gyllenhaal.

Some reviewers note that the film has a clever twist closer to the end. OutNow writes that the finale is able to provoke discussion, and the story turns 180 degrees.

What Does Not Work

The script. This is the main problem for many critics. The New York Times compares the film to an inedible gruel made with the most expensive ingredients. The Guardian writes that it is boring and has neither bark nor bite. The Hollywood Reporter directly calls Animals an offensive spectacle that makes you want to roll your eyes.

The script, written by Affleck himself together with Billy Ray and Connor McIntyre, seems ashamed of being a thriller. The film tries to be a drama about class inequality and political corruption. But it does it superficially and clumsily. The Playlist writes that the film explores political integrity and the price of survival, but its clumsy plot and overheated acting suggest a director trying to recapture his former touch.

The characters. Mark Kimball, as played by Affleck, does not change throughout the film. He is perfect from the first scene. The Hollywood Reporter notes that his wife Abby has her own problems, but the script does not let them develop. Gillian Anderson is interesting, but she gets little screen time. Steven Yeun as Sam looks like he is bored.

Plagiarism. The Hollywood Reporter noticed that Animals almost literally copies the plot of the Japanese film High and Low by Akira Kurosawa from 1963. A wealthy protagonist risks all his assets. The wife does not know about the financial gamble. The wrong child is kidnapped. Tension between servants and masters. All of this is in both films. And Animals never mentions the source.

My Verdict

6.0 out of 10

This is not a catastrophe, as some outlets write. But it is also not a return of Affleck as a director in his best form. Animals is a film that looks like a compromise, as if Affleck wanted to make something personal and serious, but Netflix demanded a thriller. And the result is neither one nor the other.

Gillian Anderson saves individual scenes, Kerry Washington tries. But the script gives them nothing but going in circles. For two hours you watch rich people argue in luxurious rooms. And then nothing happens.

But I understand why some critics gave the film positive reviews. If you like pulpy thrillers where you do not need to think, just watch, Animals might work for you. If you expect something deep, better watch the Kurosawa original.

What Critics Say and Ratings

The ratings are split. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has 38-45 percent from critics. Metacritic gives 31 out of 100. IMDb shows 5.8 out of 10. This is Afflecks second worst result as a director after Live by Night (2016), which had 34 percent.

There are also those who liked the film. OutNow calls it a really good thriller that not only raises questions of morality but also deceives the viewer until the very twist. Patty Spitler from WISH-TV gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and said the acting was terrific. The Financial Times even gave it four stars, praising Anderson.