Animals

“Humans are animals who tell stories.” Mark Kimball (Ben Affleck) is running for mayor of Los Angeles, currently falling behind in the Latino vote. Together with his campaign manager (Steven Yeun), the ambitious politician scrambles to find a solution, neglecting his wife (Kerry Washington) in the process. On Halloween, the nightmare worsens for the pair when Kimball receives a terrifying phone call claiming that their son has been abducted.

When Ben Affleck recently revealed that his learning of Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest halted production on his latest directorial feat (causing him to lose previously cast Matt Damon and Jennifer Garner), details as to the exact reason were carefully kept under wraps. With Animals now available to audiences, it quickly becomes clear that the film is Affleck’s own modern re-imagination of Akira Kurosawa’s iconic thriller High and Low, its concept similar to the Denzel Washington-led 2025 release. Yet the material doesn’t feel exhausted in the slightest.

In the world of American politics, each choice carries the burden of public perception and strategic construction on top of personal consequences. Affleck and his co-writers use this setting to expose the fact that no narrative arrives unvarnished; behind every story there is someone carefully shaping its angle. Further, the feature explores how the city – and the United States in general – operate under different laws depending on background.

Kerry Washington replacing Garner turns out to be a blessing in disguise. While the script only seems to remember Abigail Kimball’s profession when it is convenient for an observation or deduction, and doesn’t seem to factor in how a degree in psychology would shape her vocabulary (would a therapist really use the word “crazy” to describe someone’s mental state?), her casting strips away some of the character’s defences. An early scene sees Mark awkwardly trying to comfort his wife, which is promptly turned into a photo-op, leaving her to question his sincerity. The viewer gradually discovers how deep these insecurities run when she comments on the political optics of having a Black wife.

Gillian Anderson appears as a mysterious Pied Piper-figure, a sort of last resort for politicians to turn to. Her glacial demeanour suits the role perfectly; however, the way her status is established invites viewers to poke holes in certain plot points. Adriana Paz (who also stunned earlier this year in Diego Luna’s Ashes) and Luis Gerardo Méndez (The Resort) complete the core cast, bringing a sense of raw, unfiltered humanity that contrasts and complements the surrounding strategists.

The visual work somewhat underwhelms, as it sticks to bare basics and doesn’t experiment with any elaborate cinematography. It has been acknowledged that artificial intelligence was used in the film’s production, and one can immediately pinpoint the moments where this synthetic technology stepped in – begging the question of why an ankle-deep layer of water must be digitally simulated in the first place.

Overall, Animals is a persuasive political thriller with convincing performances and a hard-hitting message. It is somewhat disappointing that Affleck has no ambition for the film to transcend being a slightly better-than-average Netflix production, but perhaps this way it will reach a broader audience that might question its own gullibility in the next election.

Selina Sondermann

Animals is released on Netflix on 9^th October 2026.

Watch the trailer for Animals here: