Netflix’s ‘Animals’ Release Date, Trailer, Cast, and Plot

Netflix’s ‘Animals’ is the latest thriller from Ben Affleck, who directs and stars as a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped. The film puts him back in the director’s chair for the first time since ‘Air.’ It arrives on Netflix on October 9.

The release has drawn attention because it follows a strong year for Affleck on the streamer. Netflix has already shared a teaser and a full trailer, and the studio is keeping the story’s central mystery mostly intact. This guide covers what is known about ‘Animals’ so far, from the release date to the cast and the premise.

‘Animals’ Release Date and Where to Watch

Netflix has set a premiere date of October 9 for ‘Animals’ and slated a same day release in select theaters. The theatrical run is limited and covers North America. Viewers everywhere else will be able to stream it on Netflix.

The film is the second collaboration between Netflix and Artists Equity, the company led by Affleck and Matt Damon, following ‘The Rip.’ ‘The Rip’ drew 4.4 billion viewing minutes, and Netflix afterward locked in a multiyear first look production and distribution pact with Artists Equity.

Production took place in and around Los Angeles, and the producers said they wanted to keep jobs within the community and reinforce the city as a hub for filmmaking. Artists Equity also uses a model that pays bonuses to everyone who worked on a film, and with Netflix those bonuses arrive after a certain number of views are reached.

The ‘Animals’ Trailer and What It Reveals

The first teaser landed on a Wednesday in August and contained no dialogue. It leaned on increasingly eerie music and the constant buzzing of a phone to build anxiety. It was a restrained way to introduce a film built around a kidnapping.

The full trailer remains fairly ambiguous about the plot and avoids outright spoilers. It does hint that both Affleck’s and Kerry Washington’s characters keep sizable secrets from one another. Washington’s shadowy dialogue narrates much of the footage, which suggests the story may head into dark territory.

Critics have already started drawing comparisons. TheWrap said the tension recalls Akira Kurosawa’s ‘High and Low,’ and to a lesser degree Spike Lee’s ‘Highest 2 Lowest.’ Some images in the teaser were also described as recalling Affleck’s own heist thriller ‘The Town.’

‘Animals’ Cast and Production Team

Affleck plays Mark Kimball, a mayoral candidate in Los Angeles, and Kerry Washington plays his wife, Abigail. Gillian Anderson and Steven Yeun also star. The core group gives the film a strong dramatic foundation.

The wider ensemble includes Adriana Paz, Ray Fisher, Christopher Woodley, Matt Gerald, Jacob Estrada and Luis Gerardo Méndez. Fisher previously appeared alongside Affleck in ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League,’ as Cyborg to Affleck’s Batman.

Behind the camera, the cinematography comes from Oscar winner Robert Elswit, known for ‘There Will Be Blood.’ Brad Weston, Collin Creighton, Dani Bernfeld and Luciana Damon also produce.

The lead role changed hands during development. Affleck was originally meant only to write and direct, with Damon playing the mayoral candidate. Damon left the acting role because of a scheduling conflict with Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey,’ and Affleck stepped in to star while Damon stayed on as a producer. Jennifer Garner had been in early talks for the role of the wife, which ultimately went to Anderson.

‘Animals’ Plot and Its Origins

The official synopsis says a mayoral candidate and his wife are drawn into a web of deception after their son is kidnapped. As they scramble to raise the ransom, they must make choices that could tear their world apart. The details beyond that remain closely held.

The film is based on a Black List script by Connor O. McIntyre, which was rewritten by Billy Ray and Affleck. Ray is also the screenwriter behind ‘Captain Phillips.’

Affleck had planned to shoot ‘Animals’ a year earlier, but production was delayed to resolve script rights issues, which led him to film ‘The Accountant 2’ first. The long road to the screen helps explain why the project has been so closely watched.

The story places the couple among political adversaries and other threats, leaving them to consider extreme measures to rescue their child. For readers who have followed Affleck’s move from director to lead actor, does his Mark Kimball feel like the right fit for a role once meant for Matt Damon, or does the story hinge more on the secrets Kerry Washington’s Abigail seems to carry?