Ben Affleck's Animals Becomes Early Netflix Hit
The Ben Affleck-directed crime thriller is being billed as a potential high point of Netflix's 2026 mid-budget genre slate, according to Collider.
Netflix's crime thriller Animals, directed by and starring Ben Affleck, has become an early hit for the streamer, according to Collider. The film is being described as a potential standout of Netflix's 2026 mid-budget genre slate.
Animals arrives after a run of titles that have performed strongly for Netflix this year. The Rip, a crime thriller starring Affleck and Matt Damon, crossed 100 million views earlier in 2026.
That film was followed by Thrash, Apex, Swapped and War Machine. War Machine, starring Alan Ritchson, has accumulated more than 150 million views.
Netflix also recently released The Last House, which passed 90 million views, and The Whisper Man, which amassed more than 80 million views.
The early performance of Animals comes in the same week that Netflix laid off hundreds of employees, including major executives.
Quick answers
Who directs and stars in Animals on Netflix?
Ben Affleck directs and stars in Animals.
How many views did The Rip get on Netflix?
The Rip, starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, crossed 100 million views in 2026.
Which Netflix film stars Alan Ritchson?
War Machine stars Alan Ritchson and has accumulated more than 150 million views.