Animals

Synopsis: A mayoral candidate and his wife take desperate steps to raise their son's ransom. However, their extreme choices expose dark secrets that threaten to ruin them. 

Movie Review: 

"Animals" is helmed by Ben Affleck, marking his return to filmmaking after a few years away. I was genuinely pumped about this one because of his involvement, but unfortunately it turned out to be a letdown—a thriller that felt boring, dull, and way too predictable. It honestly made me wonder what Ben was thinking when he decided to take this project on. That said, he does solid work behind the camera, delivering some intense moments and decent thrills, plus the cast helps make it a decent enough watch for streaming. Ben plays Mark Kimball, a former lawyer turned mayoral candidate in L.A., and he gives a solid performance as this flawed guy trying to be a good husband and father. Though his over-the-top crying and yelling scenes at his wife feel a bit much and make you question his acting choices, he's mostly likable throughout. He has decent chemistry with his wife Abigail, played by Kerry Washington, who brings her own secrets to the role and delivers a good performance. But honestly, her character isn't super interesting—she's basically just the supportive political wife with nothing much to do. Gillian Anderson plays Dayle Burton, a professional brought in to help with the crisis, and she absolutely steals the show as this smart, resourceful, intimidating, and tough woman who's clearly the movie's best element. Steven Yeun plays Sam Allison, Mark's manager, and he brings a compelling, interesting character to life, though it sometimes feels underdeveloped. Despite having talented actors like Ray Fisher, Adriana Paz, Luis Gerardo Mendez, Taylor Cooper, and Christopher Woodley in the cast, they're basically wasted—just there to deliver lines and play stiff, boring characters with zero personality, only showing up to cry and yell in every scene. The third act and the reveal of who kidnapped the son is where things really fall apart. It makes no sense and offers zero explanation for the why or who behind it, which is super disappointing. Bottom line: Ben Affleck's "Animals" is a disappointing, boring, and predictable thriller that falls flat. I'm giving it 2.5/5 stars.

Cast: Ben Affleck, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Adriana Paz, Luis Gerardo Mendez, Ray Fisher, Matt Gerald, Mark Kassen, Christopher Woodley, George Todd McLachlan, Chris Gann, Taylor Cooper and Steven Yeun 

Runtime: 106 Minutes