The language barrier in Animals leaves Ramon depending on other people during his son’s kidnapping. He cannot follow the English discussions about Hector, and the people making decisions control the money. Mark Kimball speaks fluent Spanish. Even with someone who can understand him in the room, Ramon has little say over how his child will be brought home.

Ben Affleck’s Netflix thriller gives Mark plenty of chances to sound sympathetic. Ramon needs him to act on that sympathy while Hector is still in danger.

Mark’s Spanish Helps His Campaign

Mark uses Spanish at campaign events. It suits the image of a Los Angeles mayoral candidate who understands the people he hopes to represent. He has learned enough to speak to voters in their own language and wants that ability to count in his favor.

His response to Ramon makes that confidence uncomfortable. Cecilia wants to help her boyfriend find work with the Kimballs. Mark worries about how employing an undocumented immigrant could affect his campaign. Ramon’s presence becomes a possible problem for his public image before Hector’s kidnapping forces them together.

That detail matters more than another speech about Mark’s ambitions would. He can communicate with Ramon. He can also keep his distance when helping him might carry a political cost.

Ramon Needs More Than A Translation

Luis Gerardo Méndez has described Ramon trying to read the people around him to work out whether they will help recover his son. The English conversation leaves him watching for signs of what has been decided. He has to trust people whose intentions are difficult enough to judge even when you understand every word.

I find that a particularly cruel position to put a parent in. Ramon knows exactly what he wants. Getting Hector back requires help from a household with other concerns, and he has limited means to challenge the choices being made there.

The mistaken kidnapping makes those competing interests plain. Once Denny returns safely, Mark and Abigail can reconsider what they are willing to spend. Ramon’s emergency continues inside a home where the owners’ immediate fear has eased.

Dayle’s business depends on what the Kimballs want to preserve. Her proposal to kill the abductors offers them a way to recover Hector and keep the ransom. Ramon needs his son alive through whatever plan they choose.

A translation could tell him what is being proposed. It would leave the money in the same hands. That is why Mark’s Spanish matters so much to the argument. Ramon can make himself understood without gaining the authority to decide what happens next.

The Rescue Becomes Mark’s Story

Eventually, Ramon takes action himself. He follows Mark and kills the remaining abductor, saving Hector and the politician.

Mark takes public credit for Ramon’s shot. The politician has the standing to present a version of events that people accept. His interview gives him time to describe courage that belonged to someone else.

Ramon leaves for Mexico with Cecilia and Hector. Having his son back matters more than anything, though the false account still helps Mark win an election. The man who could speak to Ramon all along gets to explain the rescue to everyone else. Ramon’s part in it disappears from the story that advances Mark’s career.

Daniel Wilson

Daniel has loved movies since he was four, when he started exploring a chest of drawers filled with VHS tapes. He writes about film with a particular interest in sci-fi, drama, and action. His favorites include the work of Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve, and David Fincher, along with Terminator, Predator, Alien, and Blade Runner.