Ben Affleck’s new movie premiered on Oct. 9

If decency is the only thing that separates us from animals, what happens when you trade it all in for everything you’ve ever wanted? That’s the question viewers are left with by the end of Ben Affleck’s film Animals.

The 2026 Netflix release, which the actor co-wrote, directs and stars in, follows the moral dilemma of mayoral hopeful Mark Kimball (Affleck) and his wife Abby (Kerry Washington), who are being blackmailed for ransom in the failed kidnapping of their son Denny (Christopher Woodley).

Though Denny turns out to have evaded his would-be captors, Hector (Jacob Estrada), who is the Latino son of the Kimball’s housekeeper’s boyfriend, has been mistakenly taken in his place, as he was wearing a matching Halloween costume with Denny.

Now, the Kimballs must decide if they want to pay the kidnapper the $7 million they borrowed from a mysterious woman named Dayle (Gillian Anderson) to save their own son in exchange for Hector’s safe return — and the salvation of Mark’s campaign, which hinges on the Latino vote.

“Our goal is to force the audience to recalibrate what they think of the characters and the movie as it goes along,” Affleck told Variety of the film. “Neither of [the] characters are able to tell the fundamental truth about each other, even to themselves. It’s interesting to see how brave these characters get when they think they’ve lost everything.”

So, what happens at the end of Animals? Here’s everything to know about how the movie concluded.

How does Animals end?

At the end of Animals, Mark wins his bid for mayor with help from Hector’s father Ramon (Luis Gerardo Méndez), who lies to the press about his own involvement in the rescue of his son.

Though it is Ramon who shoots and kills the third kidnapper, saving the lives of both Mark and Hector in the process, he allows Mark to take the credit for it, framing him as a hero to the Latino community he so desperately needs to gain election points with.

“Mr. Mark saved my life,” Ramon says at a press conference.

As told through a series of media interviews, the lie earns Mark the endorsement of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, and ultimately, the mayoral race.

Do Dayle and Rand die?

Dayle and her driver Rand (Chris Gann) are both shot by an unexpected third kidnapper, who appears after Rand has killed Hector’s other two captors.

Though Rand dies instantly, Dayle is still alive. She shares a knowing look with Mark, who does not call for help, even after he removes the cell phone containing evidence of their kill-for-hire agreement from her jacket pocket. She ultimately dies.

With Dayle out of the picture, Mark will not only be in possession of the $7 million he borrowed from her to save Hector’s life, he’ll no longer be beholden to her for the additional $2.8 million he agreed to pay for her kinetic services.

Does Abby stay with Mark?

Having taken credit for Ramon’s heroic shot, Mark pleads guilty to the negligent discharge of a firearm and misdemeanor possession of a rifle without a serial number. He receives one year of probation, firearms safety-related community service and a $10,000 fine for these crimes.

Despite his convictions, Mark quickly becomes a front-runner for president — a position he says he no longer wants. “It has a lot of effect on a person’s family,” the newly elected mayor of Los Angeles tells Gayle King.

The sentiment signals his renewed commitment to Abby, who has ended her affair with Ron (Ray Fisher) and remains by Mark’s side throughout his media blitz.

Through a series of flashbacks, it is made clear that Mark cares about his family above all else, as he ultimately chooses to forgo his previously stated belief — that decency is what separates humans from animals — in order to protect their financial stability.

When Gayle asks Mark what it was like to take someone’s life in reference to the third kidnapper, his mind flashes back to Dayle, whom he and Ramon not only left for dead, but dragged away from the crime scene and hid evidence of their involvement with.

“In the moment, it was easier than I thought,” he says.

What happens to Ramon, Cecilia and Hector?

Having been thrust into the spotlight, Ramon, who immigrated from Mexico without documentation, arranges for voluntary deportation to Mexico at his expense with no prison time after speaking out on Mark’s behalf.

Though it is not explicitly stated, it is inferred that he has been paid well for his cooperation and is now a rich man, as he is seen zipping up a large bag of cash that presumably came from the $7 million ransom Dayle lent Mark to before she was killed.

“Is this your money?” Ramon asks Mark before helping him to clean up the crime scene, to which Mark replies, “Depends on who you ask.”

Mark clarifies in subsequent interviews that Ramon now lives in his native country, where he owns and manages a “large and prosperous ranch,” with the housekeeper Cecilia (Adriana Paz), to whom he is engaged, and his son Hector.

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