Animals (2026)

A decent film in which the young son of a Los Angeles mayoral candidate is kidnapped for ransom. A good story that bears a strong resemblance to the Highest 2 Lowest released last year. Some developments follow each other very quickly, making the whole thing feel a bit forced. Far from Ben Affleck's best film as a director, but simply an entertaining thriller.

Translated from Dutch · View original

Strange story, I wouldn't really call it a thriller, I didn't find it exciting, even predictable, the ending.
I also found Gillian Anderson's role so strange; she suddenly shows up after a phone call and then determines the strategy for the negotiation with the kidnappers, though who they are remains unclear.
And those dark secrets? Just adultery by his wife, then, which she confesses later.

Translated from Dutch · View original

Last year around this time, I was in LA. A colleague already said: you recognize the city instantly, as if you’ve always been there, because of all the movies and series. In some ways, the city lacks a character of its own, and in other ways, it is incredibly unique and recognizable. The first few minutes were actually really fun with those images and especially the feel of the city. Still very recognizable a year later.

The film continues reasonably well after that, is visually well put together, suddenly resembles a classic Japanese film, and yet takes a completely different route. However, it lacks focus afterwards and features too many dramatic plot developments that don't work. The acting doesn't help either. When Affleck starts screaming, he is completely unconvincing, just like Washington. And Anderson and Yeun both have somewhat odd roles. 2.5*.

Translated from Dutch · View original

A good action/crime/drama/thriller film...

Great story...

Great acting...

Quite nice, famous actor Ben Affleck and even directing himself...

Great background sound/music (Dolby Atmos)..

Beautiful HD, nice quality widescreen...

Enjoyed it immensely...

Translated from Dutch · View original

Dilemmas linked to philosophical and psychological issues. Animals revolves around mammals that can talk and reason. The fact that this culminates in a film riddled with socio-emotional patterns coupled with deep human emotions, or the absence thereof, makes it interesting. Who is really the woman in white? A good performance by Anderson. How does lust relate to true, deep love? How far will a person go to achieve their goals? All in all, an interesting film, unfortunately with some holes, though self-interpretation is a possibility. 3.1*

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