(2026) Animals - A Crime Thriller Drama with Interesting Premise but Lack Strong Performance to Make it Memorable

This movie was released by Netflix last Friday and I actually have seen it on that same day, but I just did not have the time to write about it till today. It was something that I was intrigued after reading its brief synopsis. OK then, I'll just get right on with the movie.

Brief Story Line

Matt Kimball (Ben Affleck - The Accountant 2, Deep Water etc) was an independent candidate for Los Angeles Mayor who had spent a lot of money for campaign and all the related expenses. Meanwhile his wife Abigail (Kerry Washington - Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Django Unchained etc) was a successful psychologist and supportive of Matt. On Halloween night, Matt and Abigail's only son Denny (Christopher Woodley) went for trick or treating accompanied by the house maid Cecilia (Adriana Paz - El Autor, Coyote TV series etc) together with Hector (Jacob Estrada), the son of her boyfriend Ramos (Luis Gerardo Mendez - Me Time, Narcos: Mexico season 3 etc) who only drove them to the location.

While getting ready for his next campaign event, Matt got a mysterious call from someone who claimed had abducted Denny and demanded huge pay. With not enough, Matt's campaign manager Sam (Steven Yeun - Mickey 17, The Rip etc) proposed to use a "broker" who could provide help with extensive fee. The broker who was referred to as Dayle Burton (Gillian Anderson - Tron: Ares, The Spy Who Dumped Me etc) came up with options that disturbed everyone. 

So what would happen to them and how would the story conclude? You could find out in this movie.

End of Brief Story Line

When I read the synopsis, I was under the impression that this would be a high intensity thriller movie and was hoping to experience it here. But I realize later that this was more like a crime drama. After brief introductory scenes of the characters and few quite intense dialogues, the story turned into something else. It no longer felt like the suspenseful kind of film but rather a drama that focused on moral dilemma, especially since the turn of event that was easily predicted and not shocking at all (probably because the movie did not hide the clues subtly enough and we could clearly see and deduce them). 

The film did feel a bit suspenseful during the final third, but I was kind of disappointed with the lack of explanation on the perpetrator side. I think it was purposely done, though I felt it was not the correct move as it felt unclear. However it has an interesting ending that was quite satisfying, except for the unclarity of the most important part. The movie had duration of 108 minutes including closing credits, without any mid or post end credit scenes. Btw it was written and directed by Ben Affleck himself and I read it was supposed to be starring his best friend Matt Damon, but he was engaged in The Odyssey, so Ben decided to replace him.

The cast in general was OK. It might not be the best performances for everyone involved but it was not so bad. I thought Ben Affleck did pretty well while Gillian Anderson looked cool as the broker, though Steven Yeun did not have chance to shine. Aside from the names I mentioned above, there were few support cast of Matt Gerald (Rampage, All Hail the King etc) as the kidnapper and Ray Fisher (Rebel Moon, True Detective season 3 etc) as Ron. I read that the movie got negative reviews from critics and audience were not that impressed either. There was also a controversy surrounding the film with the use of AI which I got to say I did not realize when I saw it. Not sure if it was because I did not really see it with full concentration or because the AI was very softly done. In any case this part was heavily criticized.

For an adult themed crime drama, this one did not feel strong enough. Usually for such movie it would be supported by great story telling and wonderful performances from the cast, but this time they felt short. The most interesting part for me was the way it ended, although that lack of info on the kidnapper made it feel incomplete. And I thought that closing scenes were nicely written. Overall this was a crime drama that was OK but not powerful enough to leave great impression. The premise was intriguing and the thought provoking dilemma was interesting, however it seemed to lack something to make it memorable enough. So if you are interested in such film, then you can give this a try. But if you are hoping for high quality crime thriller or intense and suspenseful thriller movie, then you might not be satisfied. The choice is yours.

Mike's movie moments rating: 3 out of 5 stars