Ben Affleck has returned to the director’s seat for his latest Netflix thriller called Animals. The movie is making a lot of headlines right now for its record-breaking Rotten Tomatoes score and massive viewership numbers. While professional critics have shared some harsh reviews, regular viewers are flocking to the streaming platform in huge numbers. Here is a look at why this new political thriller is generating so much conversation online.
A massive release on Netflix
The new movie Animals just dropped on Netflix. It is already pulling in huge numbers because people are always excited when a big star makes a new film. It actually become one of the biggest movie debuts on the platform with over 41 million views in no time.
Setting a Rotten Tomatoes record
This movie made history on Rotten Tomatoes. It got one of the lowest scores ever for a movie directed by Ben Affleck and it sat around 43 percent from critics. You might think this would stop people from watching but the bad reviews actually made folks more curious to see it themselves.
Ben Affleck directs again
Fans know that Affleck usually gets amazing scores when he directs movies like Argo. This new project is a big change from his past success and critics were quick to point out the difference. He took a big risk with this script and even though reviewers did not love it the fans are clearly still supporting his work.
The core mystery plot
The story follows a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose son is abducted. He tries to pay the ransom but he already spent all that money on his political campaign so he has to find another way out. It is a very tense situation that keeps you wondering what will happen next and how they will fix such a huge mess.
Strong cast performances
Even the harshest critics had to admit that the acting is pretty solid. Gillian Anderson and the rest of the cast give great performances that help hold the messy story together. When you have such talented people on screen it is easy to ignore some of the plot holes and just enjoy the ride.
What the critics say
Many reviewers complained that the characters are not very likeable. They felt the political messages were forced and the mystery did not really tie up in a satisfying way at the end. Critics can be really tough on big stars and they definitely did not hold back their harsh opinions on this one.
Viewers have different opinions
You know how it goes when critics hate something. Regular viewers usually end up loving it and fans are blowing up social media talking about the crazy plot twists. It just proves that a low review score does not always mean a movie is boring for a normal weekend watch.
Hitting huge viewership milestones
This film is pulling in the biggest debut numbers we have seen on Netflix recently. Getting over 41 million streams is a huge deal and it shows that star power still matters more than anything else. People just want to log in and watch something entertaining after a long day at work without overthinking the plot.
A dark political vibe
The movie tries to show the dark side of politics. Sometimes the political drama gets in the way of the main mystery but it still gives you a lot to think about. Watching a politician scramble to hide his secrets while trying to save his family makes for a very stressful and exciting story.
The ultimate verdict from fans
The streaming numbers prove that this movie is a massive hit. It might have set a negative record with professional critics but the viewers are the ones who actually keep these platforms running. If you want a gritty political thriller to watch tonight you should probably ignore the reviews and just give it a chance.
