The new trailer for the Netflix movie Animals is set to the dreaded buzzing of Ben Affleck‘s phone as it vibrates from a ransom call. Animals comes from Affleck, who pulls triple duty as the director, writer and the star of the film. The trailer is giving me total Ransom vibes with an elected official being targeted for the kidnapping of his child and it leaves him and his wife in enough desperation to call in specialists to handle the situation.
However, the description for the film also reveals another layer where Affleck’s position of power is exploited so that he and his wife must make tough decisions in an attempt to get their son back, which is a great hook. The new teaser trailer gives you enough of a handle on the plot without giving away too much, but you get to see dynamics, including Gillian Anderson being brought in to help handle the ransom situation.
Affleck stars in the film along with Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Adriana Paz, Ray Fisher, Christopher Woodley, Matt Gerald, Jacob Estrada, with Luis Gerardo Méndez and Steven Yeun.
The official synopsis for the film from Netflix reads,
“When their son is kidnapped, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate and his wife find themselves drawn into a web of deception. As they scramble to raise the ransom payment, they’re forced to make choices that could tear their world apart.”
Affleck directs from a script co-written by himself, Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray. The producers on the project include Brad Weston, Collin Creighton, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Dani Bernfeld and Luciana Damon. Meanwhile, the executive producers serving on the project include Michael Beugg; Kevin Halloran and Michael Joe for Artists Equity; Graham Taylor, Chris Rice, Christopher Slager, and Dan Guando for Fifth Season.
According to Netflix, the Animals production took place in and around Los Angeles, embracing the city as an integral part of the story. The producers are committed to supporting the local film industry, keeping jobs within the community, and reinforcing LA as a hub for filmmaking.
Animals will play in select theaters and stream on Netflix on October 9.