Ben Affleck’s latest directorial effort, the Netflix thriller Animals, has debuted to a sharp divide between commercial success and critical reception. Premiering on Friday, October 9, 2026, the film quickly claimed the #1 spot on the Netflix viewership charts, yet it simultaneously established a new career low for Affleck on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film currently holds a 36% critics’ score and a 41% audience score. This marks a significant downturn for Affleck as a filmmaker, ending a streak of high-praise projects that included 2023’s Air. Notably, the 41% audience rating officially breaks the record for Affleck’s lowest-rated directorial effort, a title previously held by his 2016 period crime drama Live by Night, which sits at 42%.
Remaking Kurosawa
Animals stars Affleck alongside Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun, and Gillian Anderson. The plot follows a Los Angeles mayoral candidate (Affleck) whose life is upended when his son is kidnapped. However, a central twist reveals the kidnappers took the wrong child, instead seizing the son of the candidate’s housekeeper.
The film serves as a modern remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic High and Low. Affleck’s version has struggled with Rotten Tomatoes scores.
AI Controversy and Visual Critiques
A significant point of contention for both viewers and critics has been the film’s production techniques. Affleck confirmed that Animals utilized AI tools during production, a decision that has been cited by some critics as a contributing factor to what they described as “unappealing visuals” and a disjointed, “absurdist” climax.
The final release features Affleck in the lead role while he also handled directing duties.
Despite the critical “Rotten” status, the film’s immediate ascent to the top of the streaming charts suggests that Affleck’s drawing power remains high with the general public. Whether this commercial momentum will lead to further collaborations between the director and the streaming giant remains to be seen, given the record-low reception from the platform’s user base.
