'The Rip' Review: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Do it Again in Miami Action Thriller
- Seb Jenkins
- Jan 15
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
By Seb Jenkins - January 16, 2026
The Departed meets Focus in a modern-day action classic that gives a tight-knit group of Miami police a devastating choice – their honour or $20 million.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are back in cahoots once again this January, swapping the silver screen for the living room tele in a Netflix exclusive ripper. The Rip features a stacked cast alongside the dynamic duo, including Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead), Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another), and Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights). Anyone who thinks the action genre has sedimented a series of tired cash grabs, clichéd storylines, and lazy remakes in recent years is in for a right treat as Joe Carnahan cooks up an instant modern classic. Although, keep your eyes peeled for a different kind of cash grab… Miami style.
When a group of Miami cops is called out to deal with a routine cash stash, they stumble across 15 buckets filled to the brim with $20 million. Are they Good Will, Hunting down the bad guys, or are they tempted to take the leap themselves? Best friends Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Damon) and Detective Sergeant JD Byrne (Affleck) are still reeling from the death of their former captain Jackie Velez (Lina Esco), while also suspecting a potential rat in their rag-tag crew of comrades. But how long can a friendship last in the face of life-changing amounts of money? As distrust brews throughout the tight-knit squad, and bullets threaten to fly, The Rip explores the thin blue line between honour and wealth.
Bulletproof vests, buckets of money, crooked coppers – you would be forgiven for assuming that The Rip is destined to fall into the common realm of Netflix slop. But that could not be further from the truth. Damon and Affleck have worked together on a total of 15 films across various positions, with the standout obviously being the Oscar-winning Good Will Hunting. However, The Rip has a very real chance to gun for the silver medal spot amongst the likes of Air, Small Things Like These, and The Last Duel.
The Rip is high-octane, without ever launching itself outside the realms of possibility. It straps on classic action tropes like Kevlar, without ever succumbing to death-by-cliché. You’re never quite sure who is holding the cards, and who is willing to burn the whole deck. With the subtle shifting narrative of Focus and the razor-sharp thrills of The Departed, it feels like a real throwback to what an action flick could and should be.
What The Rip does so well, and where plenty of modern action films fall short, is that it douses the movie in so much character, a sniffer dog would blow its balls off. Damon toes the line between stoic lieutenant and potential cut-throat schemer with brilliant precision, while Affleck’s salt-of-the-earth sergeant could season an entire Miami burger joint. It simultaneously throws you in at the deep end, while also taking the time to pepper you with character development. Yeun, Taylor, and Catalina Sandino Moreno keep us guessing with superb supporting performances, but the real star of the show is Carnahan. Not only does The Rip showcase near-perfect action pacing, but it stays sharp without patronising its audience. It’s nail-biting from start to finish, and an utter joy to experience.
Releasing on Netflix on January 16, 2026 – The Rip was made for a takeaway and an action night in.
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