The controversial 2023 Bollywood film Animal will now be coming to Netflix. Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Animal is a near-3.5 hour epic that chronicles the complex relationship between a father, Balbir, and son, Ranvijay, wherein the latter seeks revenge after there is an assassination attempt made on the former. The movie features a leading cast including Anil Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Bobby Deol, and Rashmika Mandanna.

According to the streaming service, Animal will now be arriving on Netflix. The film is set to debut on the platform on January 26. Netflix made this announcement by releasing a 30-second clip of the epic film’s highlights, which can be seen below:

Animal’s Controversy (& Surprising Box Office Success) Explained

Upon its release last year, Animal sparked criticism. The negative reaction towards Animal stemmed from the fact that many felt that it portrayed toxic masculinity and misogyny. Rather than portraying these aspects critically, many thought that the action movie’s violent plot glamorized these aspects, and made those problematic traits out to be desirable qualities of the heroes. As a result, Animal holds a Rotten Tomatoes score of only 31% among critics.

Given the low critical reception, the movie fared far better with viewers than one might expect. The Rotten Tomatoes audience score positioned the film at an 81% approval rate. This was reflected in Animal’s impressive box office totals, as viewers tuned in despite the controversy. It ended up making over $91 million at the worldwide box office, becoming the third-highest grossing Indian film of 2023.

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What is fascinating about Animal’s controversy has now become less about the discourse itself and more about how a film can succeed that much despite poor critical reception and widespread backlash. As Animal hits Netflix, the debate surrounding the film will likely continue as millions more viewers will have access to it and may watch it in the coming weeks. It will be fascinating to see how Animal fares on streaming upon its January 26 release date.

Source: Netflix

Animal (2023)

Animal is a 2023 action crime film from director Sandeep Reddy Vanga. The film revolves around a father who is unable to see his son’s intense love for him. But things in their relationship become even more complicated when Ranvijay Singh seeks revenge for an assassination attempt on his father.

Release Date

December 1, 2023

Director

Sandeep Reddy Vanga

Cast

Ranbir Kapoor , Anil Kapoor , Bobby Deol , Rashmika Mandanna

Runtime

204 Minutes

Writers

Sandeep Reddy Vanga , Pranay Reddy Vanga , Suresh Bandaru

Budget

$1.2 Million

Studio(s)

Cine1 Studios , Bhadrakali Pictures , T-Series Films

Distributor(s)

AA Films , E4 Entertainment , Sri Venkateswara Creations , KVN Productions