Netflix dropped it quietly on January 16, 2026, with no massive marketing blitz or red-carpet fanfare—just a simple “watch now” button and the promise of a high-stakes crime thriller starring two of Hollywood’s most enduring friends. Viewers weren’t ready for the gut-punch that followed. The Rip, directed by Joe Carnahan and produced by Damon and Affleck’s Artists Equity, has rocketed to the top of Netflix’s global charts, racking up massive viewership and earning early buzz as the streamer’s biggest original film of the year. Critics praise its compulsively watchable tension, while audiences call it a brutal reminder: in a corrupt system, trust is the most dangerous currency—and it always comes with a price.
The story unfolds in the humid, neon-lit underbelly of Miami, where the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT) raids a derelict stash house and uncovers $24 million in cash—bundled, hidden in walls, the largest seizure in department history. What should be a career-defining win quickly spirals into paranoia. By law, the money must be counted on-site before leaving the premises, forcing the team to hunker down through the night in hostile territory. As cartel eyes turn toward the haul and whispers of internal betrayal spread, every glance, every silence, every hesitation becomes suspect. Who can be trusted when millions are on the line—and when greed, grief, and survival collide?
Matt Damon stars as Lieutenant Dane Dumars, the grizzled, newly promoted leader haunted by the recent death of his 10-year-old son Jake from cancer. Damon’s performance is raw and restrained: a man whose professional steel hides personal devastation, making every decision feel weighted with unspoken pain. Ben Affleck plays Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne, Dumars’ longtime partner and the muscle to Dumars’ brains—a volatile, swaggering cop whose loyalty is tested like never before. Their chemistry—forged since elementary school in Boston and perfected across decades of collaborations—crackles on screen. The familiar banter turns tense, then hostile, as suspicion creeps in. When everything changes in the final act, loyalties shatter, and the audience is left questioning who the real heroes—or villains—are.
Carnahan, known for gritty cop dramas like Narc and Smokin’ Aces, keeps the pace relentless. The film opens with the murder of a team member (Lina Esco in a brief but searing role), setting a tone of immediate danger. Action sequences are visceral—shootouts in rain-soaked alleys, tense standoffs in the stash house—but the real thrills come from the psychological warfare. Silence feels dangerous: a lingering look across the room, a phone call cut short, a sudden shift in tone. The script, co-written by Carnahan and Michael McGrale, draws loose inspiration from a real 2016 Miami-Dade raid led by Sheriff Chris Casiano, where officers discovered $20 million hidden in a residence. The corruption and betrayal arcs are fictionalized for maximum impact, turning a procedural bust into a morality play about loyalty, loss, and the thin line between cop and criminal.
The supporting cast elevates the stakes. Steven Yeun brings quiet intensity as Detective Mike Ro, a sharp observer whose own secrets simmer beneath the surface. Teyana Taylor commands attention as a fierce team member caught in the crossfire. Kyle Chandler adds gravitas as DEA Agent Mateo ‘Matty’ Nix, while Catalina Sandino Moreno, Sasha Calle, Nestor Carbonell, and Scott Adkins round out a roster that keeps the paranoia spreading. Every character feels like a potential threat—or victim—in a pressure cooker where one wrong move could end everything.
Early reviews highlight the film’s strengths: an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling it “compulsively watchable” and praising how Damon and Affleck’s real-life friendship textures a bond tested by greed. Some note it loses steam in the third act or leans on familiar tropes, but most agree it’s a rare Netflix thriller that resonates—tight, twisty, and grounded in character. The film nearly set a Rotten Tomatoes record for Netflix originals, reflecting strong critical and audience response.
The production story adds intrigue. Damon and Affleck shopped the project after writing and directing credits elsewhere, landing at Netflix with a unique deal: a one-time bonus for the entire 1,200-person crew if performance benchmarks are met in the first 90 days—a departure from Netflix’s usual upfront payments. Damon rode along with real Miami officers, including Casiano, to capture authentic camaraderie and pressure. Affleck and Damon have called it a return to the kind of straightforward, high-stakes action they loved early in their careers—think Training Day or Heat vibes, but filtered through their lived-in friendship.
This isn’t just a movie—it’s a warning, as the tagline insists. In a city where justice has a price, loyalty can kill, and every choice is irreversible, The Rip reminds viewers that corruption doesn’t always wear a badge—it hides in the silences between friends. Damon and Affleck’s reunion delivers the chemistry fans crave, wrapped in a tense, twist-filled package that demands attention. Netflix’s quiet drop has become a loud success, proving that when the right stars collide with the right story, even a low-key release can explode. Stream it now—but don’t trust anyone while you do.
