Ben Affleck’s New Crime Thriller Officially Holds Netflix’s No. 1 Spot for 2 Weeks
Ben Affleck’s crime thriller *Animals* has held Netflix’s top spot for two weeks, despite poor reviews. Its popularity highlights how viewers can drive a film’s streaming success even when critics and audiences are unimpressed.
The film drew 30.8 million views in its first week. Affleck directs and stars as a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped for ransom; Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun and Gillian Anderson also star. *Animals* has Rotten Tomatoes scores of 31% from critics and 37% from audiences, with criticism focused on its writing and predictability.
In short
- *Animals* has topped Netflix for two weeks.
- It drew 30.8 million views in its first week.
- Reviews criticise its writing despite the star cast.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The film’s sustained top ranking and 30.8 million first-week views suggest that many viewers found it worth watching, regardless of its low review scores. Streaming success reflects audience choice and reach, and viewers may value the cast, premise or entertainment it offers in ways critics’ assessments do not capture.
The case against
A high ranking measures how many people watched, not whether they thought the film was good or would recommend it. The low critic and audience scores, alongside reported concerns about the writing and predictability, support the view that popularity can be driven by attention or curiosity without amounting to strong approval.
Explained simply
Animals is a crime thriller directed by and starring Ben Affleck. He plays a candidate for mayor of Los Angeles whose son is kidnapped, bringing the family into a ransom case.
Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun and Gillian Anderson also star. The film’s reception has been mixed, with reviewers and viewers criticising its writing and predictable plot; its streaming performance shows that viewing figures and reviews can tell different stories about a film’s appeal.