The Rip: Movie Review

Listen, as a filmmaker, all you have to do is put Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in a movie together and I’m there. They’re one of those dynamic, electric duos that just work together so well that you can’t help but love them. So when I heard that they had a new movie coming out on Netflix, I was immediately sold.

The Rip is a Netflix original movie directed by Joe Carnahan, who is no stranger to making action movies that star A-listers (he is the man behind The Grey, Smokin' Aces, and The A-Team). The movie blends a range of genres into one: it’s a cop drama and a suspenseful mystery, while also working as an action flick with touches of whodunnit, drug crime, and police procedural.

The story follows a team of Tactical Narcotics Miami cops whose captain has been murdered. Six weeks later, her murder remains unresolved, which leaves the team tense, grieving and eager for justice.

As you have probably guessed, our two lead actors play the roles of the most senior members of their team. Matt Damon portrays Lieutenant Dame Dumars, who is second-in-command and takes over after the captain’s death. Ben Affleck plays Detective Sergeant JD Byrne who also happens to have a brother in the FBI.

When Dumars gets a tip about a possible cartel stash, he and his team see it as both an outlet for their frustration and an opportunity to secure something for themselves. But when they arrive at the scene, they find far more than they expected. Hidden in the attic of a derelict stash house is $20 million in cash. Almost immediately, the team starts to turn on one another, and everything comes into question: loyalties, motives, and who they can really trust.

The chemistry between Damon and Affleck is as great as ever. You spend the entire time wondering if they are really in cahoots with each other or if one of them is about to stab the other one in the back. Brilliant as individual performers, they are truly at their best when complimenting each other.

And if having those two as co-leads wasn't enough to hook you in, the rest of the supporting cast is pretty damn special too.

We have Teyana Taylor, fresh off her first-ever Golden Globe win and surely awaiting her Oscar nomination, stepping into the role of Detective Numa Baptiste. As captivating as she always is on screen, Teyana fully inhabits the character, effortlessly elevating every scene she’s in. Then we have one of my absolute favourite actors in Hollywood: Steven Yeun. If you have been around since The Walking Dead days, then you know what an excellent and charming actor Steven Yeun is. With every role he plays, he always manages to steal the show, and his part as Detective Mike Ro is without a doubt one of the highlights of this movie.

We even get Kyle Chandler in this movie, easily one of the most consistently underappreciated actors out there. Without giving too much away, he enters the story at a pivotal moment, and even with less screen time than the rest of the cast, he manages to leave a lasting impression. His presence adds a quiet but undeniable weight to the scenes he’s in, reminding us exactly why he’s such a reliable and compelling performer.

The Rip is just a really good time. The kind of movie you throw on a Sunday afternoon expecting to doze off to, only to find yourself completely hooked. The kind of movie you immediately text your dad about to make sure he watches it (I definitely did). It keeps you guessing until the very end and wraps up with a satisfying conclusion, all carried by solid performances.