Ben Affleck returns to directing with “Animals” after reviving his helming career with 2023’s “Air.” Affleck also co-scripts with Billy Ray and Connor O. McIntyre, and takes a leading role, emerging as a man of many jobs on the production, which moves away from the lighter corporate gamesmanship of “Air” to deal with political and personal entanglements during a long night in Los Angeles. The feature is something of a riff on Akira Kurosawa’s “High and Low” (which Spike Lee remade last year as “Highest 2 Lowest”), putting the characters through a test of morality and financial strain as they confront an unthinkable situation of sacrifice. “Animals” isn’t a rousing thriller, but Affleck lands many scenes of suspense, and brings together a capable team of actors to explore the pressurized situation, also playing into election season insanity as political gain often battles honor in this offering. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
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