Ben Affleck is back in the director’s chair with Animals , a new crime thriller that arrives on Netflix Friday, October 9. Affleck also stars in the film alongside Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Steven Yeun and Ray Fisher.

Affleck has directed a number of acclaimed films over the years, including some that I recommend regularly to people such as Gone Baby Gone , The Town and Argo , the latter of which won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. His latest film trades bank robberies and international intrigue for a kidnapping plot involving a politician, his family and the secrets they keep from oen another.

Here’s everything you need to know about Animals , including its release date, cast, plot and whether it’s worth watching.

‘Animals’ On Netflix: Everything You Need To Know About Ben Affleck’s New Crime Thriller

Animals follows a Los Angeles mayoral candidate (Ben Affleck) and his wife (Kerry Washington) whose lives are thrown into chaos when their son is kidnapped.

Desperate to get their child back, the couple must come up with the ransom money while navigating an increasingly complicated web of deception. As the situation spirals out of control, secrets begin to emerge that threaten to destroy their marriage, their family and the candidate’s political future.

The film blends elements of a traditional kidnapping thriller with political drama, exploring how far people will go to protect their families and what happens when the carefully constructed lives they’ve built begin to fall apart.

While it’s not officially a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low , it is largely the same plot.

Who Is In The ‘Animals’ Cast?

Animals features an ensemble cast led by Affleck and Washington, with several familiar faces in supporting roles.

  • Ben Affleck — The Town , Gone Girl , Air
  • Kerry Washington — Scandal , Django Unchained , Little Fires Everywhere
  • Gillian Anderson — The X-Files , The Crown , Sex Education
  • Steven Yeun — The Walking Dead , Beef , Minari
  • Ray Fisher — Zack Snyder’s Justice League , Rebel Moon
  • Adriana Paz — Emilia Pérez
  • Christopher Woodley
  • Matt Gerald
  • Jacob Estrada
  • Luis Gerardo Méndez — Club de Cuervos , Murder Mystery

Ben Affleck directed Animals from a screenplay he co-wrote with Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray.

Affleck made his feature directorial debut with 2007’s Gone Baby Gone , a critically acclaimed crime drama starring his brother Casey Affleck. He followed that with The Town in 2010, a Boston-set heist thriller in which he also starred.

His third film, 2012’s Argo , won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Affleck subsequently directed Live by Night in 2016 and Air in 2023.

Animals reunites Affleck with longtime collaborator Matt Damon, who serves as one of the film’s producers, and Steven Yeun who also starred in this year’s The Rip .

When Does ‘Animals’ Come Out On Netflix?

Animals premiered globally on Friday, October 9, 2026 , exclusively on Netflix which means it’s live right now and available to stream.

What Is The ‘Animals’ Rotten Tomatoes Score?

As of this writing, the Rotten Tomatoes score is 48% with 28 critic reviews . It will almost certainly change as more reviews come in. I’ll be very curious to see how audience scores compare.

Is ‘Animals’ Worth Watching?

The short answer? Definitely not. Skip this one and don’t look back. As a huge fan of Gone Baby Gone and other Affleck-directed films, I was shocked at how much I disliked this messy disaster of a film. You can read my full spoiler-free review right here .

Watch my spoiler-filled video review below:

Just to give you some perspective, here are Affleck’s previous films as a director and their Rotten Tomatoes scores:

Only his film Live By Night predicted the disaster that is Animals . It has a dismal 34% RT score. I haven’t seen it, so I can’t comment, but I guess Affleck is either on fire or he’s not when it comes to directorial efforts.

Have you watched Animals? What did you think? Let me know on Twitter , Instagram , or Facebook .