When the son of L.A. Mayoral Candidate Milo Bradford is kidnapped, he and his wife have a few hours to come up with the ransom payment. With most of their money spent on his political campaign, they have to get their hands dirty and exposing a side of their lives they never intended to see the light of day.

maryville says: Ben Affleck’s latest, *Animals*, stumbles right out of the gate with a plot that feels entirely uninspired. The high-stakes premise of a kidnapped son and a desperate mayoral candidate couple should be fertile ground for a compelling crime drama, but it never truly takes root. The characters, despite the considerable talents involved, remain frustratingly underdeveloped and unengaging. Gillian Anderson, Ben Affleck, and Steven Yeun, a truly promising trio, are unfortunately let down by the material, their performances feeling oddly muted. The acting, across the board, struggles to elevate the weak characterizations. While the film offers some fleeting moments of *ok* entertainment, these are too sporadic to salvage the overall experience. The dramatic potential of exposing a hidden side of the Bradfords’ lives is squandered on a narrative that simply doesn’t resonate. Ultimately, *Animals* is a missed opportunity, failing to deliver on its intriguing premise.