Animals (2026)

Animals is written and directed by Ben Affleck, who has shown with films like Argo and The Town that he can be a solid filmmaker when everything comes together. Unfortunately, Animals is all over the place. The movie is filled with race pandering, victim blaming, West-hating dialogue, and situations that fall apart if you spend more than five minutes thinking about them. The characters frequently make decisions that do not make sense, and the story struggles to convince you that any of this is unfolding naturally.

Ben Affleck is equally inconsistent as an actor. There are moments when he is on point, but others where he veers into overacting. His crying, in particular, feels more annoying than emotionally convincing. Instead of making the audience feel what his character is going through, the performance can pull you right out of the scene. It is frustrating because Affleck has demonstrated that he can deliver much stronger performances, but this is not one of them.

Gillian Anderson was one of the highlights of Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma this year, but she is a major disappointment here. Known for The X-Files and Sex Education, she is usually a dependable presence, yet her delivery in Animals is so bland and lifeless that it becomes difficult to understand who her character is supposed to be. The role feels like Ben Affleck's failed attempt at creating a version of Winston Wolfe from Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. The character is supposed to command attention, but the performance never gives her the presence needed to pull it off.

Steven Yeun, known for Minari and Beef, is probably the strongest actor in the film. He brings more convincing energy and presence to his role than much of the rest of the cast, making him one of the few reasons to stay engaged. He seems to understand the material better than the movie deserves, and his performance stands out in a film where the writing regularly undermines the actors.

Kerry Washington, known for Scandal and Django Unchained, is a close second in terms of performance, but her character is so unlikable that it becomes difficult to sympathize with her. The constant emphasis on her race grows tiresome, while her infidelity makes it even harder to feel invested in her situation. That is not necessarily a problem with Washington's acting as much as it is with how the character is written. The movie seems to expect sympathy without doing enough to earn it.

Animals is a frustrating mess that occasionally shows flashes of potential but repeatedly sabotages itself with inconsistent acting, poorly developed characters, and writing that does not hold up under even basic scrutiny. Steven Yeun does the most with what he is given, but he cannot make up for the film's larger problems. Ben Affleck has done much better work behind and in front of the camera, and this feels like a major step backward. Result: C-