Ben Affleck’s latest directorial effort, the crime thriller "Animals," is debuting exclusively on Netflix and in select theaters this Friday. The film, co-written by and starring Affleck alongside Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun, and Gillian Anderson, tells the tense story of a Los Angeles mayoral candidate, Mark Kimball, whose son is kidnapped. As Mark and his wife Abigail scramble to meet ransom demands, they risk uncovering dark secrets that threaten to unravel their family and careers. The film also features supporting roles from Ray Fisher, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Adriana Paz, and Jacob Estrada.

Since the review embargo lifted on October 8, 2026, “Animals” has received mostly negative responses from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, registering a low 38% critics’ score based on 16 reviews. If this rating persists, it would mark one of Affleck’s poorest critical receptions as a director, only slightly trailing the 34% score his 2017 film "Live by Night" earned. This is a departure from his previous successes such as "Argo" (96%), "The Town" (92%), and "Air" (93%), which all garnered strong critical acclaim.

Critics have pointed to an overwrought and flat script lacking originality as a key weakness of the film. For example, The New York Times described it as an "extraordinarily flat political thriller," while The Daily Beast called it "unoriginal and suspense-free," lacking vigor and engagement. The Associated Press also noted that although Affleck is a skilled filmmaker, "Animals" felt narratively weak and melodramatically forced. However, some reviews did acknowledge the film’s strong cast and the supporting performances of Kerry Washington and Gillian Anderson, which brought some depth to the story.

Despite the mixed to negative critical reception, a few reviewers offered mild praise, suggesting “Animals” may serve as a decent Netflix background watch with its notable actors. The Financial Times highlighted the ensemble’s chemistry and supporting cast as a positive element in this otherwise troubled thriller. As people begin streaming or seeing it in theaters, it remains to be seen whether audience reaction will differ from critics. For now, "Animals" faces an uphill battle to achieve the acclaim seen in many of Affleck's previous directorial projects.