THE RIP (NETFLIX) (2026)

SYNOPSIS: Trust frays when a team of Miami cops discovers millions in cash inside a run-down stash house, calling everyone — and everything — into question.

MOVIE REVIEW:

When it comes to The Rip, it’s a big guessing game as to who the main villain is and who is actually the hero of this crime thriller written and directed by Joe Carnahan (The Grey, Smokin’ Aces).

Real-life buddies Matt Damon and Ben Affleck produce and star as Lieutenant Dane Dumars and Sergeant JD Byrne of Miami’s Tactical Narcotics Team. After their captain is gunned down and the entire unit comes under federal investigation for suspected corruption, Dane receives a tip-off about a stash of cartel money supposedly worth $150,000 hidden in a quiet suburban house occupied by a woman named Desi (Sasha Calle).

However, the team soon discovers that there is more than $2 million hidden in the attic. Dane appears intent on keeping a portion of the money, while his fellow team members JD and Mike (Steven Yeun) are dead against the idea and plan to contact their superiors. As the night drags on, the team is ambushed by mysterious masked gunmen and receives repeated calls demanding they take the money and get out or face death.

It’s fair to say Carnahan’s career has had its share of ups and downs. Narc and The Grey were excellent, while his recent Shadow Force was terrible. Still, when it comes to crime thrillers and gunplay, Carnahan remains one of the best in Hollywood. Copshop was criminally underrated and could give John Woo a run for his money.

With The Rip, Carnahan deliberately dials down the action and focuses instead on sustained tension and moral edginess. The central dilemma—should they take the loot or not? drives the film. There isn’t much character backstory, but we learn enough: Detective Salazar (Catalina Sandino Moreno) needs the money to support her young daughters, while Detective Numa (Teyana Taylor) is struggling to keep up with her mortgage. Dane, meanwhile, has little left after a divorce and the loss of his young son to cancer. It’s superficial, perhaps, but convincing enough to justify their desperation. I mean, who wouldn’t take the money especially when the cartel seemingly allows it?

Damon and Affleck are remarkable together, their chemistry feeling natural and unforced. This is masculinity serving the script rather than competing for screen dominance. In a stroke of inspired casting, Affleck’s doppelgänger Scott Adkins appears as JD’s younger brother, a federal agent who never seems to break a sweat.

The Rip is a solid, twisty crime thriller that leaves you wanting more. While it doesn’t boast lots of elaborate shootouts or high-speed chases, this corrupt-cop drama is far superior to the average Netflix release at least for the first month of the new year.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee