‘Animals’ Review: Ben Affleck’s Tedious New Netflix Thriller Is Quite Literally Just Bad TV

Ben Affleck returns to directing and starring in Animals, a kidnapping thriller released on Netflix. The film features Affleck as a mayoral candidate in Los Angeles. Critical reception is divided; one review describes the project as tedious and bad TV, lacking the visual flair of his previous work. Conversely, another review characterizes the film as a nasty, compulsive, and pacy piece of all-star pulp that effectively holds the viewer's attention despite its direct-to-streaming release.