Animals (2026) Review: A Ransom Clock Ticking Over Campaign Debt

Our Animals review starts with a simple question: what would you do if a ransom demand landed in the middle of the biggest week of your career? Ben Affleck directs and co-writes this Netflix crime thriller, and he also stars in it. The result is a lean, uneven film with a strong hook.

Synopsis

Mark Kimball is an independent candidate for mayor of Los Angeles. His campaign is drowning in debt, and election day is only days away.

Then a threatening phone call arrives. His son has been taken, and the clock is running. Mark and his wife Abigail have a few hours to raise the ransom, and every option they try forces them into hard choices and uncomfortable secrets.

What works

The premise is the film's best asset. Pairing a kidnapping with a failing political campaign gives the story a built-in pressure point, because the Kimballs are rich in public attention but short on actual cash. That tension between image and reality gives the early scenes a pleasing bite.

The first act is tight. Audience feedback has singled out the opening as superb, and it is easy to see why. The film sets up its stakes quickly, wastes little time on throat-clearing, and lets the ticking clock drive the action.

At 106 minutes, the film is also refreshingly compact. It does not pad its running time with long speeches about politics or family, and it moves with the brisk rhythm of a classic ransom thriller. When it commits to the logistics of the problem, it is at its most engaging.

The setting helps too. Los Angeles, with its mix of wealth, ambition and anxiety, suits a story about a man whose public life and private crisis collide. The film uses that backdrop to give the desperation a recognisable, modern edge.

Performances

Affleck plays Mark as a man who is used to talking his way through problems and suddenly finds that charm is no use. He is at his best when the character's confidence cracks, and the film gives him room to show the strain.

Kerry Washington is cast as Abigail, and she brings a steadiness that balances her husband's panic. Their scenes carry much of the emotional weight, since the story depends on us believing that this couple is under real stress.

The supporting cast is notable. Gillian Anderson appears as a mysterious fixer, Steven Yeun plays an aide to Mark, Adriana Paz plays the family's housekeeper, and Luis Gerardo Méndez plays the housekeeper's boyfriend. Ray Fisher is also in the cast. It is a strong line-up, though the film does not always give everyone enough to do.

Where it stumbles

Critics have not been kind. The film holds a generally unfavorable Metacritic score of 33 out of 100 based on 21 reviews, and only about 31% of 77 critics' reviews are positive on one tally. Those are tough numbers for a film with this much talent attached.

The common thread in audience reaction is that it loses energy after the first hour. A premise this tight needs escalation, and when the pace slackens the plot's mechanics start to feel more convenient than convincing. The secrets promised by the setup also risk feeling familiar to anyone who has seen a few thrillers of this kind.

There is also a sense that the film wants to say something sharper about politics and money than it finally does. The ideas are present, but they are often treated as backdrop rather than explored.

Who will enjoy it

• Viewers who like compact, high-stakes crime thrillers with a ticking clock.

• Fans of Ben Affleck, Kerry Washington and Gillian Anderson looking for a quick Netflix watch.

• Anyone who values a strong opening hook and can forgive a fading second half.