Ben Affleck’s ‘The Rip’ Follow-Up Officially Takes Over Netflix
Netflix’s *Animals*, directed by and starring Ben Affleck, has become an early streaming hit, overtaking his earlier Netflix crime thriller *The Rip* in weekly views. Its performance highlights the success of the streamer’s shift towards mid-budget genre films, even as Netflix has recently laid off hundreds of employees, including senior executives.
*Animals* added 30 million views and 55 million hours watched in its second week, up from 24 million views and 42 million hours in its first. The film stars Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson and Steven Yeun, but has a 32% Rotten Tomatoes score, making it the lowest-rated film of Affleck’s directing career; *The Rip* began Netflix’s 2026 run of original films to pass 100 million views.
In short
- *Animals* has overtaken *The Rip* in weekly Netflix views.
- It added 30 million views in its second week.
- Despite its popularity, the film has a 32% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Animals’ strong second week suggests Netflix can attract large audiences with mid-budget genre films, supporting a strategy that offers viewers accessible entertainment and may make efficient use of production budgets. Its viewership is evidence of commercial reach even though critics have rated it poorly.
The case against
A high view count does not by itself show that the strategy is delivering lasting value or broad audience satisfaction, particularly given the film’s low critics’ score. The success of one title also sits alongside Netflix’s recent staff cuts, raising a reasonable question about how streaming growth is being balanced against investment in the people who make and support its productions.
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