The esteemed actors play a husband and wife duo, who will stop at nothing to reunite with their kidnapped son.
ByAlex Gonzalez
August 12, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Ben Affleck and Kerry Washington star as Los Angeles power couple Mark and Abigail Kimball in Animals, a political thriller Affleck co-wrote and directed about a mayoral campaign thrown into chaos when their son is kidnapped.
- As the couple scrambles to raise ransom money, they’re pulled into a web of deception that forces them to question how far they’ll go to protect their family and who they can actually trust.
- Backed by Artists Equity and featuring Steven Yeun, Gillian Anderson, and Adriana Paz, Animals hits Netflix on Friday, October 9, with a limited theatrical run also planned.
Ben Affleck and Kerry Washington are linking up for a new thriller this fall.
Set to premiere in October, Animals tells the story of Los Angeles mayoral candidate Mark Kimball (Affleck) and his wife Abigail (Washington) as they face a terrifying dilemma. In the movie, Mark receives an ominous phone call that could potentially change the trajectory of his and Abigail’s thoughtfully constructed life.
According to a summary from Netflix, Mark and Abigail’s son is kidnapped in the movie, and amid the ransom, the two “find themselves drawn into a web of deception. As they scramble to raise the ransom payment, they’re forced to make choices that could tear their world apart.” During their journey, the two are forced to answer questions — “How far would you go to protect your family? And who can you trust?”
Described as a “political thriller,” Animalsis set in Los Angeles and was co-written and directed by Affleck. The film also stars several Netflix Originals favorites, including Steven Yeun from Beef, Gillian Anderson from The Crown, and Adriana Paz from Emilia Perez.
A trailer for the movie sees the star-studded cast moving through Los Angeles as Mark and Abigail stop at nothing to find their son.
The film is produced in partnership with Artists Equity, the artist-led studio founded by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Gerry Cardinale of RedBird Capital. Affleck and Damon are credited as producers, and Dani Bernfeld, alongside Brad Weston and Collin Creighton of Makeready, developed the project in partnership with Fifth Season.
Animalswill be available to stream on Netflix beginning Friday, October 9. The film will also screen in select theaters. Check out the trailer and first look images above.
