In director/co-writer Joe Carnahan’s crime thriller, The Rip, suspicions run high among the Miami police as trust begins to disintegrate, bonds are threatened, and nobody can be trusted. WhenCaptain Jackie Velez (Lina Esco) is murdered, a feverish investigation ensues. Meanwhile, members of the TNT (Tactical Narcotics Team), a group of cops led by Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Matt Damon) and Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne (Ben Affleck), receive an anonymous tip about a house with an illegal stash of cash.
Carnahan reunites Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in this taut story loosely based on true events involving real-life detective Chris Casiano (portrayed by Damon). In 2016, during a home raid, Detective Casiano discovered what would be the largest cash seizure in the department’s history when $20 million in cash was discovered hidden behind a wall, stuffed in Home Depot buckets. Although “inspired by real events,” writers Joe Carnahan and Michael McGrale take artistic liberties such as involving drug cartels, the location of the home,e and elevating the action sequences.
THE RIP. (L to R) Teyana Taylor as Detective Numa Baptiste and Sasha Calle as Desi in The Rip. Cr. Claire Folger/Netflix © 2025.
“…detectives receive an anonymous tip about a house with an illegal stash of cash …”
Action seekers will be enthralled by this high-octane story with an excellent cast led by Affleck and Damon, who are formidable here in bringing Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne and Lieutenant Dane Dumars to life. In their 14th time sharing the screen, their chemistry is magnetic and on full display. With a talented team that keeps the action high, Catalina Sandino Moreno as Detective Salazar and R&B singer Teyana Taylor as Detective Baptiste both bring performances that infuse the right amount of suspicion and doubt. Steven Yeun as Detective Ro and Kyle Chandler as DEA Agent Nix round out the team. This cast has a synergy that truly makes the audience believe they have been a unit for years.
In a world where there is no shortage of cop thrillers, The Rip is sheer popcorn entertainment from start to finish. The creative liberties taken work to make the story compelling, although there are some lulls and unrealistic moments. Scenes in which extreme violence takes place and no precautions are taken afterward diminish the intensity and realism of what is otherwise a good time at the movies. With a title that refers to the “ripping off” of an illegal seizure of cash from criminals, viewers will feel anything but ripped off by this film, with a big payoff.
"…sheer popcorn entertainment from start to finish..."
