It almost feels sacrilegious that, in the year of our lord 2026, an action thriller starring both Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, directed by “Smokin Aces” heavyweight Joe Carnahan, is destined to bypass a wide theatrical release altogether. But that is the industry we now live in. Not that their new film, “The Rip,” doesn’t play on the small screen. It does, and competently so. Still, there is a lingering sense that its scope and ambition are mismatched with the way most audiences will experience it for the first time. As it stands, “The Rip,” a muscular but slightly overcooked thriller about two DEA officers caught in the aftermath of a drug bust gone sideways, is perfectly serviceable January programming, the kind of movie Netflix can reliably turn into a streaming hit. Testosterone pumps through its veins, even as the pileup of double-crosses and red herrings in the final act nearly unravels everything the film has worked to establish.
Cinematographer Juanmi Azpiroz lenses the film in a slick neo-noir sheen, though the visual approach rarely commits to the specifics of place. Set in Miami, a city long strip-mined by crime cinema from “Bad Boys” to “Miami Vice,” the film largely confines itself to a manicured suburban neighborhood. This is where Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Damon) and Detective Sergeant JD Bryne (Affleck) respond to a Crime Stoppers tip about a house allegedly stuffed with $300,000 in cash. It is a promising setup that never quite capitalizes on its location, favoring polished interiors over atmosphere or texture.
Joined by their team, including Teyana Taylor, Steven Yeun, and Catalina Sandino Moreno, the officers quickly discover the tip undersold the reality. The stash totals more than $20 million. The timing could not be worse. Internal Affairs is already circling the unit over the murder of a fellow officer, and the investigation carries a personal sting since one of the federal agents on the case happens to be Bryne’s brother. Any whiff of impropriety surrounding the seized money could bring the entire crew down in flames.
From there, “The Rip” leans hard into familiar cop-movie territory, interrogating the moral gray zones that separate good cops from dirty ones. At one point, a character holds a bundle of cash and reflects on how even a fraction of it could be life-changing. With constant references to budget cuts and dwindling overtime, the film is eager to justify how temptation might corrode even the most principled officers. The title itself refers to the seizure operation, a term repeated so frequently you might get whiplash. Layer in the suspicion that one member of the team is both a snitch and a cop killer, and the movie briefly morphs into a DEA-flavored whodunit.
What starts as a tense home seizure quickly devolves into a parade of genre clichés, stacked one atop another. Still, there is an undeniable appeal in watching Damon and Affleck trade glances and guarded conversations, their stoic chemistry doing much of the heavy lifting. A playful supporting turn from Kyle Chandler adds some welcome texture, and the film’s low-stakes Netflix energy gives it the feel of an especially cable movie-of-the-week. Carnahan and co-writer Michael McGrale seem convinced their twists are sharper than they actually are, but the plotting remains just plausible enough to maintain a baseline level of engagement. The final stretch delivers the expected barrage of gunfire and bone-crunching violence, though it also introduces a half-baked character beat involving Dumars’ child that feels clumsily grafted on and emotionally unearned.
“The Rip” may not live up to the promise implied by its title, but viewers looking for a slick, disposable thriller to fill a quiet Friday night could do far worse. Even if the movie runs out of gas just as the credits roll.
THE RIP streams on Netflix Friday, January 16.