featuring @netflix
Netflix has unveiled the official trailer for Animals, the upcoming crime thriller starring Ben Affleck and Kerry Washington, offering a much closer look at the increasingly desperate situation facing a family pushed to breaking point.
Affleck stars as Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose carefully constructed life is shattered when his young son, Denny, is kidnapped. Alongside his wife Abigail, played by Washington, Mark must find a way to secure the ransom while dealing with consequences that threaten to destroy both his family and his political ambitions.
The new trailer introduces Mark as a polished public figure who speaks about justice and the difficult decisions that come with leadership. That confidence quickly disappears when his personal life is thrown into chaos.
As Mark and Abigail desperately attempt to bring their son home, they find themselves forced into increasingly dangerous territory. The situation also begins exposing secrets within their seemingly perfect marriage, suggesting that the kidnapping may uncover far more than either of them expected.
Gillian Anderson also features prominently as Dayle, a mysterious figure who appears to have information that could prove crucial to the couple’s desperate efforts. The trailer hints at a character who knows more about Mark and Abigail than they would like revealed.
The film also features Steven Yeun, Adriana Paz, Ray Fisher, Christopher Woodley, Matt Gerald, Jacob Estrada and Luis Gerardo Méndez.
Animals marks Affleck’s first time directing a feature since 2023’s Air. He also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray. The project is produced in partnership with Artists Equity, the studio founded by Affleck, Matt Damon and Gerry Cardinale.
Rather than simply focusing on the mechanics of a kidnapping thriller, Animals appears to explore what happens when people are pushed beyond their moral boundaries. The film raises questions about how far parents might go to protect their children and what happens when the image someone presents to the world begins to collapse.
Netflix has confirmed that Animals will arrive in select cinemas and on Netflix on October 9, 2026.
The latest trailer suggests audiences can expect a tense crime thriller built around family, secrets, morality and the increasingly dangerous lengths one couple will go to in order to save their child.
