Ben Affleck’s Animals arrives on Netflix

Ben Affleck’s thriller Animals became available on Netflix on October 9, bringing a kidnapping plot that places a Los Angeles mayoral candidate’s family and political ambitions under pressure. Affleck directs and stars as Mark Kimball, whose son is abducted as Kimball campaigns for mayor. The film also features Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson and Steven Yeun. The story follows Kimball and his wife, Abigail, as they try to secure ransom money. With help from campaign manager Sam, they turn to Dayle, a mysterious power broker played by Anderson, who can arrange funds and offers to manage the crisis. The kidnapping forces Kimball to confront choices that could affect both his family and his campaign. The film’s central turn connects the kidnapping to the household of Cecilia, the Kimballs’ employee, and her husband Ramon. That shift widens the story beyond a conventional rescue thriller, bringing the families’ unequal access to money, influence and protection into focus. As the crisis escalates, Kimball must decide how far he is willing to go to protect those close to him.