Ben Affleck directs and stars in Netflix thriller Animals

Summarised from 2 outlets · 3 reports · Updated 9 Oct, 20:49 · Archive

Ben Affleck directs and stars in Animals, a political suspense-thriller arriving on Netflix on Friday.

Ben Affleck has returned to directing for Animals, a new suspense-thriller that arrives on Netflix on Friday. The film stars Affleck as a Los Angeles mayoral candidate entangled in a kidnapping plot.

According to the New York Post, Affleck originally planned to cast Matt Damon in the lead role, with his real-life ex Jennifer Garner co-starring. However, plot similarities to Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest – itself an adaptation of Akira Kurosawa's High and Low – temporarily halted production. Damon departed to film The Odyssey, and Affleck reconsidered the project before casting himself as the lead and replacing Garner with Kerry Washington to avoid the awkwardness of playing her on-screen husband.

The film follows Mark Kimball, an independent mayoral candidate funding his own campaign. As he falls behind in the polls, his campaign manager pressures him to mortgage his multimillion-dollar home without his psychotherapist wife's knowledge. The plot thickens when Mark learns of his wife's affair, whilst remaining unaware of other complications involving their housekeeper and her undocumented boyfriend.

Gillian Anderson appears in the film as a political fixer, described by the Post as stealing scenes.

How it is being reported

• Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Animals’ on Netflix, in Which Ben Affleck Directs and Stars in a Convoluted Political Suspense-ThrillerGillian Anderson steals scenes as a flinty fixer with a gelled coif.New York Post · 9 Oct, 20:30
• Ben Affleck talks "Animals," marriage, divorce and moreBen Affleck sits down with "CBS Mornings" to discuss his new Netflix movie, "Animals," which premieres Friday.CBS News · 8 Oct, 15:42
• Ben Affleck talks "Animals," and the role of marriage and divorce in new movieBen Affleck sits down with "CBS Mornings" to discuss his new Netflix movie, "Animals," which premieres Friday.CBS News · 8 Oct, 15:42

In this story: Ben Affleck · Netflix · Kerry Washington · Gillian Anderson · Matt Damon · Los Angeles

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