Personal relationships, family responsibilities, and emotional vulnerability shape Ben Affleck’s thriller, Animals, which begins streaming on Netflix on Oct. 9. Affleck directs, co-writes, and stars in the film. He portrays a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose son’s kidnapping intensifies a troubled marriage, forcing him and his wife to confront painful truths.
Affleck plays Mark Kimball, an independent politician campaigning to become mayor of Los Angeles. When his son is kidnapped, Mark’s personal life deteriorates as he manages the crisis alongside his wife, Abby, played by Kerry Washington. Their confrontation at home becomes a central emotional sequence, exposing hidden truths, accumulated resentment, and unresolved grievances.
Unpacking Marriage and Moral Compromise in Animals
In addition to tackling politics and moral compromise, Affleck stated that he was interested in exploring how much of marriage involves raising children together and functioning as a shared economy. Reflecting on the evolution of marriage from a historical contract to a modern emotional partnership, the 54-year-old filmmaker focused on questions regarding how much investment a relationship requires and the level of vulnerability partners must show.
“There’s a tension between what we want to show our partners,” Affleck noted during interviews. “We want them to be attracted to us and to see attractive things about us, and we don’t want to show them things that are not attractive. I wanted to tell a story about a couple that got to the place where they’re only really able to be totally and utterly honest with one another when they felt they had nothing to lose.”
Drawing From Life Experience
Affleck acknowledged that his years of life experience have helped him understand and portray complicated emotions authentically. While his own romantic history has frequently been in the public eye, he clarified that he did not pull directly from personal relationship drama. Instead, he and Washington collaborated to build a shared history and conflict for their characters.
“Living more life means having joy and having pain and making mistakes and having regrets,” Affleck said. “What I’ve learned to understand more is kind of where those feelings are and be able to access and touch them, because I’ve just had more life experience.”
Written by Connor O. McIntyre, Billy Ray, and Ben Affleck, Animals uses a high-stakes kidnapping plot and a gritty political backdrop to examine the breakdown of communication and trust. As Mark and Abby navigate an excruciatingly painful circumstance, the film delivers a tense psychological study of what happens when the mask comes off and couples must face the raw reality of their choices.
Key Details About Netflix’s Animals
- Release Date: Streaming globally on Netflix starting October 9.
- Director & Star: Directed, co-written, and starred in by Ben Affleck (playing Mark Kimball).
- Co-Star: Kerry Washington stars as Abby Kimball.
- Plot Premise: An independent Los Angeles mayoral candidate faces personal and political ruin when his young son is kidnapped, unearthing deep-seated marital conflict.
- Writing Team: Co-written by Connor O. McIntyre, Billy Ray, and Ben Affleck.
