By Susan Granger
As one of 2026’s first Netflix releases, “The Rip” is supposed to be a heist thriller – using cop parlance for stealing cash, drugs and/or weapons – but those initials really signify “repetitive informant procedural” since there’s obviously corruption on the Miami/Dade police force.
An elite narcotics unit is under investigation after the death of Capt. Jackie Velez (Lina Esco) whose murder seems to be tied to robberies at local stash houses, known as a “RIP.”
When Lt. Dane Dumars (Matt Damon) gets a tip that could reveal Jackie’s killer, he assembles his team – Det. Sgt. JD Byrne (Ben Affleck), Det. Mike Ro (Steven Yuen), Det. Numa Baptiste (Teyana Taylor), and Det. Lolo Salazar (Catalina Sandino Moreno) – to raid a nondescript house on a cul-de-sac in a quiet Hialeah neighborhood.
The sole occupant is a young woman named Desi (Sasha Calle), who denies any knowledge of a hidden stash – until Lolo’s money-sniffing dog discovers more than $20 million hidden in barrels in the attic. Obviously, it belongs to the cartel – and they’re gonna come to try to retrieve it.
While debating what to do next, the cash must be counted – and that leads to the most credible scene in the picture as Numa and Lolo acknowledge the obvious temptation to steal the money and what a difference it would make in their lives.
Hovering around, there’s Byrne’s FBI agent brother Del (Scott Adkins) and DEA agent Mateo ‘Matty’ Nix (Kyle Chandler) – yet by the time the ‘traitor’ is revealed, no one really cares.
Adapting a predictable story by Michael McGrale and director Joe Carnahan (“The Grey,” “Copshop,” “Narc”), Dumar’s traumatized character is loosely based on real-life Capt. Chris Casiano, mourning the loss of his 10-year-old son to cancer.
Unfortunately, Carnahan’s dialogue is so profanity-laden that it loses all effectiveness, becoming ludicrous, even laughable.
So perhaps the film’s greatest appeal is seeing Ben Affleck & Matt Damon together again, producing under their Artists Equity label. They negotiated a contract with Netflix entitling all 1,200 people involved in the $100 million production to receive a one-time bonus if the show performs well over a 90-day period. That could introduce a new payment model, reducing the cost of making ‘streaming’ movies and be more sustainable.
On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “The Rip” is an all-too-familiar 5, streaming on Netflix.
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Susan Granger
Westport resident Susan Granger grew up in Hollywood, studied journalism with Pierre Salinger at Mills College and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with highest honors in Journalism. In addition to writing for newspapers and magazines, she has appeared on radio and television as an anchorwoman and movie critic for many years. Read all her reviews at susangranger.com.
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