Animals
HeartGuard score
How suitable a title is for Christian viewers, from 0 to 100. It weighs the content meters and the worldview.
- 80–100Recommended
- 60–79Watch with care
- 35–59Think it throughThis film
- 15–34Strong caution
- 0–14Not recommended
HeartGuard score
How suitable a title is for Christian viewers, from 0 to 100. It weighs the content meters and the worldview.
- 80–100Recommended
- 60–79Watch with care
- 35–59Think it throughThis film
- 15–34Strong caution
- 0–14Not recommended
Worldview score
What the story celebrates or condemns.
Why −1 for this film
The film exposes political ambition, deceit and a willingness to arrange killings, but it does not clearly hold those choices to account. Its cynical view of power leaves the moral picture ambivalent.
- +2Affirms faithPresents faith in God positively and as true
- +1Positive valuesHonesty, sacrifice and family win out
- 0Mixed or neutralNo clear stance
- −1AmbivalentThis filmShows sin without judging it either way
- −2Glamorises sinMakes sin look attractive and rewarding
Age guide
How suitable this film is for each age group.
Why 16+ for this film
Frequent strong language, a shootout with several deaths including a shot to the head, and a child kidnapping with threats to kill him. An affair and a sensual scene add adult themes.
- Under 8No
- Ages 8–12No
- Ages 13–15Wait
- Ages 16–17Check first
- AdultsCheck first
A tense, foul-mouthed political thriller about a mayoral candidate whose choices during a child kidnapping turn on ambition and deceit. Expect strong language, shootings and an affair.
Watch guide
What's in it?
LanguageStrong language throughout
Strong language runs through the film, with frequent shouting and heated arguments between characters.
BlasphemyLikely some exclamations
In a film with this much strong language, expect some misuse of God's name in arguments.
Sex and nuditySensual scene, references
A married couple share a sensual scene, and there are sexual references in the dialogue.
RelationshipsAffair, strained marriage
A wife is having an affair with a younger man and plans to leave her husband. The marriage is shown as full of secrets, and the couple try to repair it.
ViolenceShootings, killings
A shootout leaves several people dead, including a shot to the head. Bodies are disposed of and a car is burned.
Frightening scenesChild kidnapping
A child is abducted and held for ransom, with threats to kill him. Another child is put in danger and narrowly avoids serious injury.
Drugs and alcoholLittle shown
Drug or alcohol content does not play a significant part in the story.
AttitudesLies, murder plotting
A politician weighs paying a hired operative to kill kidnappers, lies to police and the public, and hides evidence. The deception largely works in his favour.
OccultNone
The story is set on Halloween, but no occult practice features.
- To knowContent to know about
- Skip for kidsSkip for younger viewers
- DiscussWorth discussing
- Early
Child kidnapping
A threatening anonymous call and a photograph of a child in his Halloween costume begin a ransom demand, with a threat to kill the boy.
- Early
Affair and sexual content
A wife's affair with a younger man is revealed, and a sensual scene between the married couple appears as the marriage is strained.
- Mid
Murder plotting
For an additional payment, a fixer proposes to get rid of the kidnappers, and the husband and wife debate whether to accept.
- Mid
Family conflict
Husband and wife argue bitterly, with shouting and strong language, over secrets, money and neglect.
- Late
ShootingsSkip if under 16
A ransom handover turns into a shootout in which several people are shot dead, including a shot to the head.
- Late
Deception and cover-up
A man takes a dying woman's phone, hides bodies and gives a false public account of events.
How to play
- 1. Draw a cardOne person reads the question out loud.
- 2. Everyone answersThere are no wrong answers. Listen before you reply.
- 3. Pass it onThe next person draws, until the deck is done.
Faith & story
What does it say?
What's it about?The plot, without the ending
As a Los Angeles mayoral contest nears its end, Mark Kimball, an independent running far behind, secretly gambles his family's savings on a late effort to win over Latino voters, keeping his wife Abigail in the dark. Their marriage is already under strain. On Halloween their son goes trick-or-treating with the housekeeper and another boy. That night a kidnapper phones the mansion and demands a huge ransom by a tight deadline. With police ruled out, Mark, Abigail and his campaign manager must decide how far they will go, and what it might cost them, to get a child back.
Through a faith lensHow it connects to the Bible
This is a story about a man who gains power by trading away his integrity. Mark weighs a child's life against his campaign, lies to the public and keeps evidence that binds others to him. Scripture asks what it profits someone to gain the world and lose his soul. Pilate washed his hands to protect his position while an innocent man suffered. Ahab and Jezebel took what they wanted and covered their crime with a false account. The Bible warns that hidden things do not stay hidden. It also calls for care for the vulnerable, such as the foreign-born child caught up in the plot, and for honest speech. The marriage thread, where secrets and neglect give way to honest talk, echoes the call to put away deceit and speak truthfully with one another. Whether wrongdoing carries a cost is a question the film leaves for viewers to weigh.
Fruit of the SpiritWhich fruit does it show?
1 out of 9 fruits ripe in this film
Ripe grapes are shown in the film, buds are missing
- Joy
- Peace
- Patience
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Faithfulness
- Gentleness
Love appears mainly in Ramon's determination to rescue his son and in Mark and Abigail's late effort to repair their marriage. Against that, the film is full of works of the flesh. Mark and Abigail clash in fits of anger and constant strife, and Abigail's affair is sexual immorality. Rivalry and envy drive the political race, while the kidnapper's grudge shows hatred. Self-control is conspicuously missing from a man who lets ambition steer every choice.
The charactersExamples to follow or avoid
Mark KimballBen AffleckAn independent mayoral candidate. Ambitious and driven, he is pushed into choices that test his conscience, his marriage and his career.
Abigail KimballKerry WashingtonMark's wife. She has grown distant during the campaign and keeps her own secrets, yet is forced to work with him in the crisis.
Dayle BurtonGillian AndersonA hard-nosed fixer brought in by the campaign to handle the ransom. She charges high fees and offers violent solutions.
Sam AllisonSteven YeunMark's campaign manager. He urges bold political moves and recommends the fixer when the crisis hits.
RamonLuis Gerardo MéndezThe partner of the Kimballs' housekeeper and father of one of the boys. He is determined to rescue his son and acts on his own.
How Christians are portrayed
Faith and the church play no real part in the story. No Christian characters or religious practice are central, and the film's moral world is secular, driven by politics and money.
Community
What other Christians think
What did you notice?
Strong language (the f-word or similar)?
Is this appropriate for Christians to watch?
Thinking of children? Add the youngest age you'd show it to.
Review
Helpful reviewer
The star beside a name
Given to members whose reviews 25 or more people have marked Helpful.
It rewards reviews that help other families decide, not how many someone writes. It's a sign others have found their reviews thoughtful, not a verdict on anyone's faith.
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Details
Film details
- In theatres
- Oct 9, 2026
- On streaming
- Oct 9, 2026
- Cast
- Ben Affleck, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Steven Yeun
- Director
- Ben Affleck
- Studios
- Artists Equity, Makeready, Fifth Season
- Genre
- Thriller, Drama
- Run time
- 1h 46m
- Age rating
- US R · UK 15
How we analysed this
We gathered the plot and reception, and facts that independent sources agree on, then rated each content area against our rubric and worldview scale, using AI models calibrated on reference titles. Not yet reviewed by our team. Confidence: low.
Score = 100 − 16 × content concern (3.42) + 8 × worldview (−1) = 37
This is a guide to help families choose with wisdom, not a verdict on anyone's conscience ().
Updated 2026-10-14