Animals is a Ben Affleck crime thriller that arrived on Netflix on October 9, 2026, and it is the most-watched movie on the Netflix US chart this week. Affleck directs and stars as Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate, with Kerry Washington as his wife Abigail and Gillian Anderson, Steven Yeun and others in the cast. Critics are mostly negative, but viewers are watching anyway.
This guide covers the cast, a spoiler-free plot, the ending explained, whether Animals is a true story, what critics say and where to watch. It also links to the rest of this week’s Netflix top 10 in our Netflix Top 10 guide. Last updated on October 20, 2026.
| Detail | Info |
| Release | Netflix and select theaters, October 9, 2026 |
| Director | Ben Affleck |
| Writers | Ben Affleck, Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray |
| Genre | Crime thriller |
| Rating | R |
| Runtime | Just under two hours |
| Netflix US chart | No. 1 movie this week |
| Where to watch | Netflix |
| Actor | Character |
| Ben Affleck | Mark Kimball, an independent Los Angeles mayoral candidate |
| Kerry Washington | Abigail Kimball, Mark’s wife |
| Gillian Anderson | Dayle Burton, a fixer Mark hires |
The cast also includes Steven Yeun, Adriana Paz, Ray Fisher and Luis Gerardo Méndez.
Mark Kimball is running for mayor of Los Angeles when his family is pulled into a web of deception after a kidnapping. A ransom is demanded, the Kimballs struggle to raise it, and Mark makes choices that threaten both his campaign and his family.
Spoiler warning: this section reveals the ending.
The kidnappers took the wrong boy. Mark’s son Denny is safe, and the child who was taken is Hector, the son of Ramon, whose partner works for the Kimballs. The two boys were wearing identical Halloween costumes.
Mark hires Dayle, a fixer played by Gillian Anderson, to deal with the kidnappers. He then offers her more money to kill the kidnappers, and Dayle records him asking for it. The ransom drop goes wrong, and Dayle is fatally shot. Mark takes her phone, which holds the recordings that could have tied him to the plan.
The Kimballs then tell a version of events that makes Mark the hero who rescued Hector. A flash forward a year later shows that he won the election.
Mark is never punished: he keeps his secret and wins the election.
No. Animals is a fictional thriller. Netflix describes it as a crime thriller and the coverage around its release does not present it as based on real events.
Reviews are mostly negative. Rotten Tomatoes shows roughly a third of critics positive, with the exact number shifting as more reviews arrive. Common complaints are the pacing and the script, while Gillian Anderson is often singled out for praise. The Hollywood Reporter called it a thriller with juicy elements that should have been tastier, and Forbes called it a misfire.
Animals streams on Netflix, and it also had a limited run in select theaters. It is rated R, so it is aimed at adults.
The second most-watched movie on the Netflix US chart is Tyler Perry’s Doing Life. For the full chart, see our Netflix Top 10 This Week. Coming soon, The Altruists lands on November 19 and The Hunting Wives season 2 follows on Thanksgiving Day.
Animals was released on Netflix, with a limited theatrical run, on October 9, 2026.
Ben Affleck plays Mark Kimball and Kerry Washington plays Abigail Kimball. Gillian Anderson, Steven Yeun, Adriana Paz, Ray Fisher and Luis Gerardo Méndez are also in the cast.
Ben Affleck directed it and co-wrote the script with Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray.
The kidnappers took the wrong boy, Hector. Mark’s fixer Dayle is killed, Mark takes her phone with the recordings, and the family tells a story that makes Mark a hero. He wins the election.
Hector, the son of Ramon, was taken by mistake. Mark’s son Denny was not the target, and he was wearing a costume identical to Hector’s.
No. It is a fictional crime thriller.
Yes. Animals is rated R.
Roughly a third of critics are positive, so it is rated rotten. The score changes as new reviews come in.
It is the No. 1 movie on the Netflix US chart this week, ahead of Tyler Perry’s Doing Life.
On Netflix.
This guide is based on Netflix information, review coverage and chart reports, and is updated as new details come in.
Featured image photos via Wikimedia Commons: Ben Affleck by Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 3.0), Gillian Anderson by SpiritedMichelle (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Steven Yeun by Everwest (CC BY 4.0). If you are the rights holder of an image on this page and would like it removed, see our terms of service or contact us and we will act promptly.
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