Ben Affleck is back in the director’s chair and back in front of the camera for Netflix’s new political crime thriller Animals. The official trailer dropped on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, and it shows Affleck doing what he does best: playing a man whose carefully built life is falling apart. This time, that collapse happens in the middle of a Los Angeles mayoral campaign.
The film stars Affleck as Mark Kimball, a candidate for mayor whose son is kidnapped. With most of the family’s money tied up in the campaign, Mark and his wife Abigail (played by Kerry Washington) have to find a way to pay the ransom while keeping their secrets from destroying everything they have built. Animals opens in select theaters and arrives on Netflix on October 9, 2026.
What The Official Trailer Shows
The full trailer gives a much clearer picture of the story than the first teaser that arrived in August 2026. It opens with Mark Kimball speaking about crisis and character.
“In a crisis, we discover who we are, and what’s important to us,” Mark says in the trailer. “I see now more than ever how true those words are.”
The trailer moves between two sides of Mark’s life. In public, he is shaking hands, giving speeches, and playing the role of a confident leader. At home, he and Abigail are living every parent’s worst nightmare. Their son Denny (played by Christopher Woodley) has been taken, and the clock is running out.
Gillian Anderson appears as a fixer named Dayle who tells the couple something chilling.
“Your son’s life is at stake,” Dayle says. “So whatever secrets you’ve kept from one another need to come out now.”
The trailer also shows Steven Yeun as Mark’s campaign manager and Adriana Paz, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Ray Fisher, and Matt Gerald in supporting roles. The film was co-written by Affleck, Connor O. McIntyre, and Billy Ray.
Why This Story Feels Familiar For Affleck
Affleck has spent much of his directing career telling stories about men whose lives are coming apart. The Town, Argo, and Live by Night all deal with men under enormous pressure. Animals takes that same tension and drops it into the world of politics.
The difference here is that Mark Kimball’s crisis is not just personal. Every decision he makes can affect his reputation, his marriage, and his chance of becoming mayor. He is selling voters one version of himself while a family emergency threatens to expose everything he wants to keep hidden.
Affleck has said the film is really about marriage and what it takes to hold a relationship together.
“How do you maintain a relationship? That’s obviously something that was on my mind,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “What does a marriage really require of us? How well can we know one another?”
He also explained what interested him about the moral questions at the center of the story.
“Ultimately, this is a story about whether people have a real moral compass or seek to do what’s in their best interests.”
The Long Road To Making Animals
Animals almost did not happen. Affleck was just two weeks away from starting production on an earlier version of the film when he learned that Spike Lee and Denzel Washington were making Highest 2 Lowest, another kidnapping thriller with enough similarities to give him pause. He shut down the production.
The original plan was for Matt Damon to star as Mark Kimball, with Jennifer Garner playing Abigail. Affleck told Entertainment Weekly that he thought Garner would be amazing for the role. But scheduling issues got in the way. Damon was busy filming The Odyssey, and the pairing with Garner did not work out.
Affleck eventually took over the lead role himself and brought Kerry Washington on board as Abigail. The film reunites Affleck and Damon behind the scenes through their Artists Equity banner. Damon produces alongside Affleck, Brad Weston, Collin Creighton, Dani Bernfeld, and Luciana Damon.
The ensemble rehearsed for several weeks before shooting began, working on location at the Kimballs’ lavish Los Angeles home.
Fan Reactions To The Trailer
Reactions to the first teaser in August 2026 were mostly positive. Fans compared the premise to Ron Howard’s Ransom and praised Affleck’s directing.
“Looks like a modern-day remake of Ron Howard’s Ransom, I’m in!” one fan commented.
Another fan wrote: “This looks incredible. Ben Affleck is such an incredible director. Everything he touches is so good. I can’t wait for this!”
Film insider Jeff Sneider also reacted to the teaser, writing: “My boy is back!”
One fan noted that the teaser stood out for what it did not show.
“Interesting trailer has no dialogue, just a recurring alarm sound,” @SajinShrijith posted.
Another viewer said: “Finally, a trailer that does not spoil the movie.”
Not every reaction was positive. One user commented: “I always feel like Ben Affleck is playing Ben Affleck.”
Related:
When And Where To Watch Animals
Animals releases in select theaters and on Netflix on Friday, October 9, 2026.
For viewers in the United States, the film will be available to stream on Netflix from October 9. A limited theatrical run begins on the same day.
For audiences in the UK, Canada, and Australia, Netflix will carry the film from October 9, with select cinema screenings depending on the region.
For viewers in India, Animals will stream on Netflix from October 9. Theatrical showings in select cities will be confirmed closer to the release date.
The film runs as a Netflix Original and is produced in partnership with Artists Equity, the studio founded by Affleck, Matt Damon, and Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital.
Also Read: Netflix’s Animals Trailer: One Phone Call Changes Everything for Ben Affleck and Kerry Washington
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