THE RIP Review: Does Joe Carnahan’s New Heist Thriller Deliver or Fall Apart Under Pressure?

Director Joe Carnahan has always been something of an American counterpart to Guy Ritchie—he gravitates toward gritty cops-and-robbers chaos, high-velocity shootouts, and snappy criminal banter. And true to form, his latest project, THE RIP, leans right into that wheelhouse.

This time he’s loaded the roster with an almost absurdly stacked cast: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle, and Kyle Chandler, all teaming up for a Netflix action thriller that promises danger, betrayal, and enough gunfire to rattle your bones.

So the big question is: does THE RIP actually bring the heat, or should we call the cops and have this whole operation shut down?

A Simple Setup - But a Story That Keeps Twisting

The premise looks straightforward enough: a squad of Miami cops stumble upon millions in cash hidden in a rundown stash house. Once the news leaks and outside forces sniff around the money, trust inside the unit starts to crumble.

And that’s when things get messy.

We follow a covert team who receives a tip about a massive “rip”—the term they use for a huge seizure of dirty cash. But once suspicion starts to bubble and every officer begins side-eyeing the next, the story shifts into a tense and unpredictable thriller.

Carnahan opens the film with a chaotic, fast-cut energy. Scenes bleed into one another. Questions are fired rapid-fire. Characters respond, but the camera cuts so often that you don’t always see the same person answering the same question. It’s creative, even stressful, and it gives the film a jolting launch.

But it’s also a dizzying way to introduce both the cast and the storyline.

Tension Within the Team Starts Early

From the moment we meet the squad, there’s this simmering antagonism running just below the surface. Sometimes it’s sarcastic banter. Other times it feels like someone’s about to snap.

The cool part?

Carnahan lets mistrust seep in early—even if you’re not entirely sure why you shouldn’t trust certain people yet.

At the center of the chaos are Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, whose long-time friendship and on-screen chemistry make them a volatile pair. They look like they’ve been brothers-in-arms for years, but their interactions don’t always support that illusion.

Both characters are worn down, jaded, and exhausted—veteran officers who’ve seen far too much and earned far too little to retire. So they just keep marching into the fire.

Dialogue That’s Sharp, Harsh, and Surprisingly Funny

Carnahan’s signature dialogue style is all over this film—fast, gruff, and unpolished. It’s not witty in a snarky Marvel-style way, but it carries this gritty humor with a dark edge.

It actually feels very David Mamet-like in its construction. There’s not a ton of exposition. The conversations rely on context, shorthand, and real-world cadence rather than overexplaining everything.

And honestly, that makes the immersion so much better.

For a movie that runs just under two hours, there’s barely a moment where the pacing drags. It starts strong and keeps that adrenaline-soaked rhythm until the final stretch.

Even in quieter moments, there’s this uncomfortable stillness that almost feels more nerve-wracking than the bullets.

When the Action Hits, It Hits Hard

Once the gunfights erupt, Carnahan goes all-in.

Automatic fire tears through walls and vehicles with a vicious punch. The camera shakes—not in a sloppy shaky-cam way, but in a way that mimics the recoil and the sheer force behind every round fired.

It puts you in the moment like you’re holding the weapon yourself.

And thanks to the story’s constant uncertainty, the action feels even more intense. You’re already unsure who to trust. Now you’re unsure who’s going to eat a bullet in the next five seconds.

Mystery Layers That Don’t Always Add Up… Until They Do

Even though the setup looks simple, the narrative is layered with a lot of “something’s off here” energy. Clues don’t line up. Conversations contradict. Everybody feels a little suspicious.

Some twists you might see coming, but others stay hidden long enough to keep the tension simmering.

If there’s one drawback, it’s that the film sacrifices some deeper character development to maintain that escalating intensity. Outside of Damon and Affleck’s characters, most of the cast remains a bit fuzzy.

You don’t dislike them—you just don’t know them well enough to latch onto them emotionally.

Supporting Cast That Elevates the Unease

Even without massive backstories, the supporting cast plays into the paranoia beautifully.

• Teyana Taylor and Catalina Sandino Moreno add grounded skepticism to the team dynamic. Their scenes with Damon highlight believable power imbalances and distrust.
• Steven Yeun plays the squad’s junior officer, a man who clings to protocol in a room full of rule-benders. His uncomfortable silences alone are enough to spike your anxiety.
• Sasha Calle is a standout—simultaneously fiery, suspicious, and strangely innocent. She plays that “maybe she knows everything, maybe she knows nothing” role to perfection.

Together, they create an environment where every interaction feels like a potential betrayal.

Final Verdict – A Gritty, Frenzied, and Fun Thriller

I genuinely had a blast with THE RIP.

The fast dialogue, the uneasy character dynamics, and the explosive action make for a high-energy ride with enough twists to keep you engaged until the end. Sure, some character depth gets pushed aside, and the intro is a little chaotic, but the core experience settles into a suspenseful and aggressive rhythm quickly.

It may not be a film that lingers in your mind for years, but in the moment?

It’s an absolute rush.

Violence is heavy.

Language is heavy.

I’m giving THE RIP a solid 4 out of 5.

Not a masterpiece, but absolutely a good time.