Ben Affleck’s New Netflix Thriller ‘Animals’ Turns a Political Campaign Into a Nightmare with New Trailer

Kidnapping thrillers excel at placing ordinary families in dire situations, but the stakes escalate when the family has invested months in cultivating a public persona they cannot afford to jeopardize. The blend of personal desperation and political pressure creates the kind of intense narrative that filmmakers with a knack for morally complex storytelling find irresistible.

Ben Affleck has established a reputation for crafting such tightly wound narratives, and his latest project embraces this tension fully. Following his Netflix directorial debut earlier this year, Affleck is back with a new thriller that shifts from a heist to a deeply personal crisis.

‘Animals‘ centers on Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate portrayed by Affleck, whose family life unravels when his son is kidnapped during his political campaign. With their finances largely tied up in the race, Kimball and his wife Abigail, played by Kerry Washington, have mere hours to gather the ransom, forcing them to confront hidden aspects of their lives.

Gillian Anderson joins the cast as a fixer who assists the Kimballs in navigating the turmoil, while Steven Yeun plays Kimball’s campaign manager, who observes the chaos as the family’s public and private lives collide. The ensemble cast also features Adriana Paz, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Ray Fisher, Matt Gerald, and Mark Kassen.

When their son is kidnapped, an LA mayoral candidate and his wife scramble to raise the ransom while making choices that could tear their world apart.

Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, with Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun, Gillian Anderson, Adriana Paz and Luis Gerardo Méndez… pic.twitter.com/P2PGtOq4Kk

— Netflix (@netflix) September 15, 2026

‘Animals’ marks the second collaboration between Affleck and Yeun in quick succession, following their joint efforts on Netflix’s ‘The Rip’ alongside Matt Damon, which has emerged as one of the platform’s most popular films this year. Yeun has also solidified his relationship with Netflix, having won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series for his role in ‘Beef.’

Affleck directs ‘Animals’ from a screenplay he co-wrote with Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray, marking his return to the director’s chair for a Netflix project since ‘The Rip.’ The film is produced through Artists Equity, the studio Affleck co-founded with Damon and Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital, alongside Makeready and Fifth Season.

Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit, known for his work on ‘There Will Be Blood,’ shot the film, with a score composed by Harry Gregson-Williams. Production took place in and around Los Angeles, with Affleck and his team emphasizing a commitment to keeping filmmaking jobs local and reinforcing the city’s status as a production hub.

‘Animals’ is set to hit select theaters and begin streaming globally on Netflix on October 9, with a runtime of 106 minutes. Given Affleck’s history with character-driven thrillers and the strength of the ensemble cast, the film is poised to be one of the platform’s standout releases this fall.

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