The Rip Review - Damon & Affleck turn genre comfort into streaming gold
The Rip Review: A Vibes-First Cop thriller That Knows Exactly What It Is
There’s a specific kind of movie that doesn’t beg for a theatrical screen, surround sound, or an audience holding its breath in unison. It simply asks for a couch, a quiet night, and a willingness to sink into a familiar rhythm. The Rip fits that category perfectly. Streaming on Netflix, the film isn’t chasing reinvention or prestige — it’s channeling the feeling of a classic cop thriller, built on atmosphere, star power, and genre comfort. And on those terms, it works surprisingly well.
Directed by Joe Carnahan, The Rip is inspired by a true story but is less interested in realism than in mood. It’s a movie that treats plot as a delivery system for vibes, tension as texture, and character depth as something we subconsciously fill in because the actors are already doing half the work.
Story: A Familiar Setup With a Slightly Crooked Pulse
The film opens with the killing of Miami police captain Jackie Velez, an event that immediately places the department under a microscope. Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Matt Damon) steps into a leadership role amid Internal Affairs scrutiny, FBI interest, and whispers of deep-rooted corruption. When Dane receives an anonymous tip about a cartel stash house, he assembles his trusted unit for an off-the-books visit — a decision that sets everything spiraling.
Inside a seemingly ordinary suburban home, the team discovers over $20 million hidden in the walls. From that moment on, the money becomes a ticking bomb. Someone will come for it. Possibly multiple people. And within the unit itself, trust erodes as Dane’s increasingly erratic behavior raises uncomfortable questions.
The film somewhat undercuts its own mystery by revealing too much too early, meaning the “what’s really going on” element never fully lands. Yet this odd transparency becomes part of the film’s personality. The Rip feels less like a tightly wound thriller and more like a movie pretending to be one — knowingly, almost playfully.
Performances: Star Power Doing Heavy Lifting
The beating heart of The Rip is the Damon–Affleck dynamic. Ben Affleck plays JD Byrne, Dane’s closest friend and emotional pressure point, with a weary volatility that contrasts nicely with Damon’s restrained paranoia. Their decades-long real-life relationship does most of the emotional storytelling, allowing the film to skip deeper character excavation.
When Affleck looks betrayed, or Damon looks wounded, the audience fills in the subtext instantly. The film leans into this familiarity — wisely — and it pays off.
The supporting cast elevates the material significantly. Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Sasha Calle inject personality and credibility into roles that could have felt thin on the page. Brief appearances by Kyle Chandler and Scott Adkins further boost the film’s watchability.
Technicalities: Stylish, Moody, Purposefully Loose
Carnahan’s direction prioritizes atmosphere over precision. The camera lingers, the pacing breathes, and the tension simmers rather than spikes. The Miami setting is used effectively — sun-drenched exteriors clashing with morally murky interiors — while the score hums quietly beneath the action instead of demanding attention.
Editing choices sometimes dull the suspense, particularly in moments that should feel sharper or more dangerous. Still, the film’s aesthetic coherence keeps it engaging, even when logic bends.
Analysis: A movie That Cosplays as a thriller — And Knows It
The Rip is not as clever as it occasionally thinks it is, nor as gripping as its premise promises. But it’s also not trying to be the definitive cop thriller of its generation. Instead, it plays like a comfortable genre throwback filtered through modern star personas.
There’s an unreal, almost artificial quality to the drama — not accidental, but intrinsic. The film doesn’t want you to solve it; it wants you to sit with it. That self-awareness turns its limitations into part of its charm.
What Works
• Damon and Affleck’s chemistry does instant emotional storytelling
• Strong ensemble cast masks script shortcomings
• A relaxed, confident understanding of its streaming audience
• Vibe-heavy direction that prioritizes mood over mechanics
What Doesn’t
• Mystery elements that never fully land
• Overexplained setup that blunts suspense
• A script that gestures at depth without fully earning it
Bottom Line
The Rip isn’t a great cop thriller — but it’s a very good streaming one. It’s the kind of movie you enjoy not because it challenges you, but because it understands exactly how you’re watching it. Familiar data-faces, familiar genre beats, and just enough tension to keep things interesting. On its own wavelength, it’s a solid, satisfying hang.