New ‘Animals’ Trailer: Ben Affleck Battles Political Scandal & Kidnappers In Netflix Thriller

Ben Affleck has entered the lion’s den in the new trailer for Animals, an upcoming R-rated Netflix thriller he also co-wrote and directed. In it, he plays Los Angeles mayoral candidate Mark Kimball opposite Kerry Washington, who stars as his wife, Abigail. Amid what appears to be a typical political race, the couple receives a world-shattering phone call informing them of their son’s kidnapping.

As they scramble to respond to the ominous news, cracks in their relationship and lives begin to appear. “Power creates leverage, and leverage dictates outcomes.” the mysterious fixer Dayle (Emmy winner Gillian Anderson) tells Mark and Abigail. “So whatever secrets you’ve kept from one another need to come out now.” It seems the consequences will cost a lot more than a position as the city’s chief executive, as implied by a bunny-masked man marauding through an LA spillway with a scoped semiautomatic rifle.

“The movie is really about marriage — what it means to attach yourself to someone, the bargains and exchanges,” Affleck told Netflix of the film.

Co-written by Connor McIntyre and Billy Ray, Animals is produced in partnership with Artists Equity, the artist-led studio founded by Affleck and Matt Damon that was also responsible for The Rip, another Netflix crime thriller in which they both starred. The Animals cast also includes Steven Yeun, who earned an Oscar nomination for his turn in 2020’s autobiographical drama Minari; Cannes Best Actress winner Adriana Paz; and Luis Gerardo Méndez (Murder Mystery).

“I’m a big believer that the audience has expectations of me, of Kerry, of Steven, of everyone,” Affleck added in the statement shared by Netflix. “You want to use that and then drift away from it in ways that help tell your story.”

Animals hits Netflix on October 9. Watch both trailers below: