Ben Affleck’s R-rated Netflix crime thriller sets release date in tense first teaser
Ben Affleck is returning to the director’s chair for a Netflix crime thriller that revolves around a kidnapping that threatens a family and a political campaign. The first teaser for 'Animals' introduces Affleck as Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped during his mayoral campaign. Kerry Washington plays Mark’s wife, Abigail, while Steven Yeun and Gillian Anderson appear as the crisis begins to unfold. The film is rated R and will be available for viewers to watch this fall.
'Animals' will be released on Netflix and in select theaters on October 9. It is Affleck’s first feature as a director since the 2023 film 'Air' and follows his appearance in Netflix’s 'The Rip.' Affleck directs, stars in, and co-wrote the screenplay with Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray. The film was produced in partnership with Artists Equity, the company founded by Affleck, Matt Damon, and Gerry Cardinale.
The minute-long teaser contains no dialogue, relying on music and the repeated buzz of a phone to introduce the threat facing the Kimball family. It begins with Mark, Abigail, and Yeun’s characters in a room as Mark answers a call. Earlier images show Mark campaigning for mayor, meeting voters, and appearing onstage before the family’s situation changes. The footage then shows Abigail and another woman, played by Adriana Paz, in distress.
A sleeping bag beside a pair of handcuffs hints at the kidnapping, while a figure wearing a fluffy rabbit mask and holding a gun appears near a bridge. Anderson’s character arrives at Mark’s home during the crisis, and another shot places Mark in the crosshairs of a rifle. The teaser does not identify the kidnapper or explain how the political campaign may connect to the crime.
Netflix’s official logline reads: “When their son is kidnapped, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate and his wife find themselves drawn into a web of deception. As they scramble to raise the ransom payment, they’re forced to make choices that could tear their world apart.”
The premise places the ransom demand at the center of the story while raising questions about what Mark and Abigail may be forced to reveal or sacrifice. The teaser keeps those details concealed and does not show what is said during the calls. It instead moves between the family, Mark’s campaign, and the investigation as the pressure around them builds.
Along with Affleck and Washington, the cast includes Anderson, Yeun, Paz, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Ray Fisher, Mark Kassen, and Christopher Woodley. Woodley plays Mark and Abigail’s young son. The Netflix film was shot in and around Los Angeles, which also serves as the setting for Mark’s mayoral run and the kidnapping crisis. Affleck, Damon, Dani Bernfeld, Brad Weston, and Collin Creighton serve as producers. 'Animals' brings Affleck back behind the camera while also giving him the lead role in the family and political crime story.
