Animals on Netflix: Ben Affleck Directs and Stars in a Kidnapping Thriller With Kerry Washington and Steven Yeun, Out 9 October
Animals, Ben Affleck's first film as director since Air, streams on Netflix from Friday 9 October with a limited cinema release. Affleck plays a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped, with Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Adriana Paz, Luis Gerardo Méndez and Steven Yeun. Matt Damon produces and was originally set to star. Plot, cast, release time and why Damon stepped aside.
los angeles at night ii. Photo: hannes-flo via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
Ben Affleck has won two Oscars behind the camera and spent the last few years building a studio with Matt Damon. Animals, out on Netflix on Friday 9 October, is the first film from that partnership in which Affleck directs himself in a thriller, and it is Netflix's biggest release of the month.
The plot
Affleck plays a candidate for mayor of Los Angeles in the final stretch of a campaign. His son is kidnapped, and the ransom demand forces a choice between the public story he is telling voters and the private one he has to live. The film moves between the campaign, the police and the kidnappers, with Kerry Washington as a figure inside the campaign and Steven Yeun on the other side of the case. Gillian Anderson, Adriana Paz and Luis Gerardo Méndez complete the main cast.
Behind the camera
Affleck directs and co-writes, his first feature as director since Air in 2023. Matt Damon produces through Artists Equity, the company the two founded in 2022. Damon was originally attached to star, but left to take a role in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, and Affleck stepped into the lead himself.
Where to watch
Netflix worldwide from Friday 9 October, 12:30 PM IST in India. Netflix is also giving it a limited run in cinemas in a few US cities, as it has done for its awards contenders, which tells you how the platform is positioning it.
Why it is trending
Affleck's directing record is strong, Argo won Best Picture and Air was well reviewed, and a kidnapping thriller with a political backdrop is a rare mainstream genre piece from him. The Damon-to-Affleck casting switch has also become part of the story.
Frequently asked questions
When does Animals release on Netflix?
Friday 9 October 2026, 12:30 PM IST in India.
Who directed Animals?
Ben Affleck, who also co-wrote the film and stars.
Who is in the cast of Animals?
Ben Affleck, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Adriana Paz, Luis Gerardo Méndez and Steven Yeun.
Is Matt Damon in Animals?
No. He produces the film and was originally set to star before leaving for The Odyssey.
Is Animals in cinemas?
In select US cities alongside the Netflix release.
