Animals Review: Ben Affleck’s Netflix Thriller Lacks Punch

Director Ben Affleck is known for steering his acting career through various Hollywood resurgence periods, a trajectory partly built on his success behind the camera. His earlier directing efforts ranged from artistically driven, Boston-set mysteries like Gone Baby Gone to more commercially successful crowd-pleasers such as The Town. Now that his acting portfolio has stabilized through steady roles and production ventures alongside Matt Damon, his directing career appears to have stalled, lingering in what seems to be a post-Oscar lull. Notably, while his film Argo secured the best picture Oscar in 2013, he has never received a nomination for best director.

His latest project, Animals, lands squarely within his established niche: a Los Angeles-based crime and political drama. However, the film delivers a surprising amount of lethargy rather than the tension one might expect. Affleck stars as Mark Kimball, an independent candidate running for mayor of his hometown. The character’s background is remarkably eclectic, claiming past careers as a teacher, a lawyer, and a Gulf War veteran, a combination that raises some logical questions but serves to illustrate a mix of public service dedication and ruthless ambition.

Mark relies on his family’s wealth to navigate the final stretch of a tight election race. Meanwhile, his relationship with his wife, Abby, portrayed by Kerry Washington, is strained, with her concealing personal issues. The plot intensifies on Halloween when Mark receives a call reporting that his preteen son, Denny, has been kidnapped. The captors demand a $7 million ransom, an amount Mark cannot readily provide to secure his son’s safe return.