Ben Affleck’s new thriller is officially the worst-reviewed film of his career
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Ben Affleck and Kerry Washington in the Netflix series “Animals.”Image via Netflix
Although his acting career has seen ups and downs, Ben AffleckThe directing career was pretty solid. Four of the six feature films he has directed so far have been the spy caper “Certified Fresh” on the aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes Argo earned him the coveted Best Picture Academy Award. More recently, Affleck has shifted his focus to the streaming industry after directing the acclaimed sports drama Air. His latest feature film is the political thriller, which was released on Netflix on October 9th. Unfortunately, the film is only the second film in Affleck’s directing career to receive negative reviews from critics and is now his lowest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes.
With Affleck himself in the lead role, Animals also functions Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun, Gillian AndersonAnd Ray Fisher. The film is inspired by Akira Kurosawa‘S High and lowwhich was recently redone Spike Lee just a year ago. Lee’s film, Highest 2 Lowestplayed the main role Denzel Washington And Jeffrey Wrightand was released on Apple TV to great success after a limited theatrical run. While Lee’s film has a Certified Fresh rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, Animals currently sits at 33% on the aggregator. In his review, Collider’s Robert Brian Taylor wrote: “Affleck fails to convincingly link the film’s various guiding principles.”
Collider Exclusive · 8 questions · 2 minutes Which Netflix character Would be your best friend? Dustin · Emily · Wednesday · Gi-hun
Some friends drag you out of the house. Some sit with you on the worst night of your life. Netflix has written both, plus the one that tells you the truth you’ve been avoiding all week. Answer eight quick questions about how you actually make friends and find out which one would always end up in your corner.
🧢Dustin(Stranger Things)
🗼Emily(Emily in Paris)
🕷️Wednesday(Wednesday)
🟢Gi-she(squid game)
01
How do you usually find a new friend? The origin story says a lot about the friendship that follows.
02
What does a perfect Saturday with your best friend look like? Friendship usually arises from completely ordinary hours.
03
You call her at two in the morning. What is happening? This is the true test of a friendship and everyone knows it.
04
What do you want from them when you are clearly wrong? The best friendships are the ones that survive correction.
05
What do your friends actually like about you? The friend you attract says something about the friend you are.
06
You have an argument. How are you? How a friendship repairs itself is more important than how it breaks.
07
Why do you actually need a best friend? Everyone is missing something. The right friend fills this gap.
08
What will keep you two together in ten years? Eight questions, this is the question that decides who you get.
The group chat has spoken Your best friend is…
Four Netflix characters, four completely different ways to show up for someone. This is the one who suits you and knows how you maintain friendships and what it would be like to have them in your life.
Stranger Things · Netflix · Since 2016
Dustin Henderson
You don’t make friends at half volume, and neither does he. What you want is someone who will say yes to the plan before you finish describing the plan.
Dustin is the friend on whom the entire series is based: fiercely loyal, passionate about everything, and incapable of leaving anyone behind.
You have the same instinct. Your friendships are loud, specific, and slightly ridiculous, and that’s why they last for decades.
He’s also the only person who takes your strangest interest completely seriously, which is far rarer than it sounds.
They would have a group chat. It would never be quiet.
Emily in Paris · Netflix · Since 2020
Emily Cooper
You are the friend who makes things happen, and so is she. Together, you would be easily stressful for everyone around you and completely content with yourself.
Emily sees an ordinary Tuesday as something that could become an occasion that is either the best or worst quality in a friend, depending on their energy level.
They share her refusal to sit still. Neither of you have ever accepted a night where something happened somewhere else.
She’s far more loyal than people give her credit for. She defends her friends loudly, publicly and occasionally before checking the facts.
She would post the photo without asking. You would forgive her because it is a very good photo.
Wednesday · Netflix · Since 2022
Wednesday Addams
You have no patience for pleasant lies and she is incapable of telling them. What looks like cold from the outside is actually the most reliable friendship on this list.
Wednesday never says anything good that she doesn’t mean, which is why the rare things have enormous meaning.
You would rather be told the truth than be comfortable. She is constitutionally unable to offer you anything else.
Underneath it all, she is extremely protective. She simply refuses to provide any service out of caring.
Don’t expect a birthday message. Expect her to ruin anyone who wrongs you.
Squid Game · Netflix · 2021-2025
Seong Gi-hun
They take care of the person who is having the worst day. He does that too. It’s the least strategic way to move through the world and the best possible quality in a friend.
Gi-hun is neither the strongest nor the smartest player in Squid Game. He’s the one who continually chooses to protect someone else at the expense of himself.
You have the same instinct. You notice who’s having problems and you stick with them long after anyone would blame you for leaving.
He’s a flawed friend, and that’s one of the reasons it resonates. He lets people down and then comes back and tries again, which is more than most people can do.
He would give you his last chance and not once mention that he did it.
Here’s where Animals stands in Ben Affleck’s filmography
Films directed by Ben Affleck
Critic review on Rotten Tomatoes
Argo
96%
Gone, baby gone
94%
Air
93%
The city
92%
Live by night
34%
Animals
33%
The film’s 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes is only slightly below that of his 2016 gangster drama Live by night34% score. Affleck’s four other feature films have all been widely praised. Air has received a 93% critic rating as “Certified Fresh” and a 97% audience rating as “Verified Hot” on the aggregator Argo has a 96% Certified Fresh rating from critics and a 90% rating from audiences; The city is at 92% from critics on “Certified Fresh” and 85% from viewers; and his debut film, Gone, baby gonenow has a 94% Certified Fresh rating from critics and an 86% rating from audiences. Affleck served as an actor and producer on his other Netflix release in 2026. The crackwhich turned out to be a huge success for the streamer.
Animals is now streaming on Netflix. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
