The Kidnapping Is Only the Beginning… Ben Affleck’s New Netflix Thriller Looks Darker With Every Reveal. When a politician’s son is kidnapped, he and his wife race to raise the ransom — only to find themselves trapped in a web of deception where dangerous secrets start coming to light. With Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson and Steven Yeun joining Affleck, this could get very dark, very quickly.

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Netflix’s Animals Trailer Sets Up a Dark Kidnapping Thriller Led by Ben Affleck

The trailer is out for Ben Affleck's new movie "Animals."

Netflix has released the full trailer for Animals, Ben Affleck’s upcoming thriller, offering a much darker look at the story ahead of its October release.

Affleck directs and stars in the film alongside Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson and Steven Yeun. The story follows a Los Angeles mayoral candidate and his wife after their son is kidnapped, forcing the couple into a dangerous web of deception as they race to raise the ransom.

Ben Affleck Takes on a High-Stakes Thriller

Ben Affleck as Mark in Animals.

Animals centers on Mark, played by Affleck, and Abigail, played by Washington. Their lives are thrown into chaos when their son is taken, leaving them with an impossible situation: find the ransom money while navigating a series of choices that threaten to tear their world apart.

The newly released trailer gives viewers a first extended look at the film’s tense atmosphere. Based on the preview, the kidnapping quickly becomes more complicated than a straightforward ransom exchange, with deception and increasingly difficult decisions surrounding the couple.

Netflix previously unveiled a first look at Animals in August, generating early interest in the project. The full trailer now provides a broader glimpse at the film and the increasingly dangerous situation facing its central characters.

A Star-Studded Cast

Affleck and Washington lead an ensemble that also includes Gillian Anderson, Adriana Paz, Ray Fisher, Christopher Woodley, Matt Gerald and Jacob Estrada.

Luis Gerardo Méndez and Steven Yeun round out the cast.

With Affleck both directing and starring, the film places a major focus on the tense family crisis at the heart of the story while surrounding its leads with an experienced ensemble.

The teaser is out for Netflix's movie

Animals Arrives on Netflix in October

The new trailer has already prompted enthusiastic reactions from viewers on YouTube, with some expressing excitement about seeing Affleck return to the thriller genre and praising the film’s cast.

One viewer commented, “Always excited for an Affleck flick,” while another described the movie as a must-watch crime thriller and said they were counting down to its release.

Animals will begin streaming on Netflix on October 9, 2026.

Cast: Ben Affleck, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Adriana Paz, Ray Fisher, Christopher Woodley, Matt Gerald, Jacob Estrada, Luis Gerardo Méndez and Steven Yeun
Director: Ben Affleck
Streaming: Netflix
Release date: October 9, 2026