Animals: Movie Review

As a director, Ben Affleck is still criminally underrated. The man has given us some real gems, such as Gone Baby Gone, The Town, and Argo, the latter of which earned him two Oscars. Needless to say, any film directed by him is a no-brainer for me, as I know I'm in for something entertaining and full of twists. So, when his latest film, Animals, landed on Netflix, I knew I had to give it a watch. Compared to the rest of his filmography, Animals is probably Ben Affleck's weakest effort to date, but it's still an enjoyable watch for a weekend evening.

The lead role in Animals was originally intended for Ben Affleck's real-life best friend, Matt Damon. However, after production on the film was delayed, Damon was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Not wanting to see another actor take on the role he had specifically envisioned for Damon, Affleck ultimately decided to step in himself, taking on both the directing duties and the lead role.

The rest of the cast is equally impressive, with some familiar faces filling out the supporting roles. Kerry Washington, who is no stranger to the political thriller genre, plays Ben Affleck's onscreen wife, while Steven Yeun and Gillian Anderson take on key supporting roles.

Set in the final days of the Los Angeles mayoral race, Animals follows Mark Kimball (Ben Affleck), an independent candidate who has poured his entire net worth into his campaign, only to find himself running out of money just as the election approaches. With his chances of winning looking increasingly slim, Mark invests what little he has left into a final campaign push, hoping to secure enough votes to get him over the finish line. However, things take an unexpected turn when his young son is believed to have been kidnapped, and a $7 million ransom is demanded.

With no way of paying the ransom, Mark turns to a mysterious fixer named Dayle to help negotiate the child's release. However, the situation becomes even more complicated when it turns out the kidnappers have mistakenly taken Hector, the son of Ramon, the boyfriend of the Kimballs' housekeeper, Cecilia. Hector had been out trick-or-treating with the Kimballs' son under Cecilia's supervision when the kidnapping took place. With the clock ticking, Mark finds himself caught between doing what is right and protecting his political future, particularly as his campaign relies heavily on winning over Los Angeles' Latino community.

On top of everything else, Mark's already-strained marriage to his wife Abigail begins to unravel as the pressure mounts. Blending elements of a crime thriller with dark political satire, Animals explores the lengths a candidate might go to protect his public image, touching on themes of race, privilege, and the way minority communities can become political tools during an election. As the night spirals further out of control, Mark must navigate a kidnapping, a failing marriage, and a campaign that could make or break his future.

Where Animals falls short, however, is that it isn't nearly as twisty as it leads you to believe. The movie does a good job of building tension and steadily raising the stakes, making you feel as though you're heading towards a big reveal or some kind of unexpected turn of events. Unfortunately, that moment never really comes, and things end up feeling a little underwhelming given how much the film builds towards something bigger. The ending is also a bit of a letdown, particularly as the kidnapper hints throughout the movie at having a personal grudge against Mark, only for Mark to have no idea who the person is when they finally come face to face. Whilst that might be realistic, considering how a political figure can have an enemy who holds a grudge against them without them even knowing they exist, it still feels like we're missing a crucial piece of the puzzle by the time the credits roll.

Ultimately, Animals is still an enjoyable watch, the kind of film you can throw on during a cold, rainy evening and simply sit back and enjoy. Whilst it might not be Ben Affleck's best work, it still has plenty of the elements that make his films so entertaining, and it's another solid addition to his filmography.