CONNECT WITH US
Tech

Tech

Netflix’s new Ben Affleck movie is its best original thriller since ‘The Rip’ — but it’s no ‘Gone Girl’

Tom's Guide logo

Published on

Add as a preferred source on Google
Netflix’s new Ben Affleck movie is its best original thriller since ‘The Rip’ — but it’s no ‘Gone Girl’

  • Rating: 3/5 stars
  • Verdict: "Netflix’s ‘Animals’ sees Ben Affleck operating on both sides of the camera in a respectable crime thriller. The plotting is pedestrian, but good performances, especially from Gillian Anderson and Kerry Washington, stand out. It's intense and twisting enough that you’ll feel compelled to see this streaming original through to the end; it’s just a shame that when the finale does arrive, ‘Animals’ swerves into silliness.’
  • Where to watch: "Animals" is on Netflix now

It speaks to the overall quality of Netflix’s original movie slate in 2026 that I would rank new crime thriller “Animals” in my top five best of the year so far. On the surface, that seems like a big compliment. However, it’s more a result of subpar competition than owing to the strength of this new Ben Affleck movie about a mayoral candidate in a desperate situation.

Affleck stars in and directed “Animals,” and considering his pedigree in the thriller space, having helmed the likes of “Gone Baby Gone” and “Argo,” not to mention playing the lead in genre titan “Gone Girl" and Netflix's popular "The Rip," I hoped this new Netflix original could capture that magic. It doesn’t.

However, don’t take all this as the introduction to a review where I eviscerate the movie and advise you to give it a wide berth. “Animals” does offer some solid thriller fundamentals. In the streaming space, where the barrier to entry is lower than catching a new release on the big screen, “Animals” is a perfectly serviceable way to spend two hours.


Source link
Related Topics:Tech

Disclaimer

We strive to uphold the highest ethical standards in all of our reporting and coverage. We TheMorningPulse.fyi want to be transparent with our readers about any potential conflicts of interest that may arise in our work. It's possible that some of the investors we feature may have connections to other businesses, including competitors or companies we write about. However, we want to assure our readers that this will not have any impact on the integrity or impartiality of our reporting. We are committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news and information to our audience, and we will continue to uphold our ethics and principles in all of our work. Thank you for your trust and support.