The Rip (2026): Netflix’s Gritty Crime Thriller Puts Damon & Affleck Back on the Same Side — But Are They the Good Guys?

Trust is expensive.

And in The Rip, it might be the most dangerous currency of all.

Set in the humid pressure-cooker of Miami and powered by one of Hollywood’s most iconic pairings, The Rip is Netflix’s big crime-thriller swing for early 2026. Written and directed by Joe Carnahan, the film reunites Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in a morally murky cop drama that doesn’t ask who’s right — it asks who breaks first.

Streaming globally on Netflix starting January 16, 2026, The Rip looks less like a glossy police movie and more like a slow-burning trust collapse with guns, sweat, and millions of unclaimed dollars in the middle.

What Is The Rip About?

At its core, The Rip is a story about temptation.

A tight-knit group of Miami cops uncovers a massive stash of cash hidden inside a derelict stash house — money tied to serious criminal operations. What begins as a by-the-book seizure quickly turns poisonous once outsiders learn just how big the score really is.

As pressure mounts, loyalties fracture.

Secrets leak.

And the question nobody wants to answer becomes unavoidable:

Can you trust your partner when life-changing money is on the table?

Carnahan frames the film around that tension, pushing the characters into ethical gray zones where doing the “right thing” may cost them everything.

Damon and Affleck: Brotherhood Under Pressure

The emotional spine of The Rip is the relationship between:

• Dane Dumars (Matt Damon) — a seasoned lieutenant modeled on a real-life Miami cop

• J.D. Byrne (Ben Affleck) — a detective sergeant and Dumars’ longtime partner

These aren’t strangers forced together by circumstance. They have history. Shared language. The kind of bond built over years of working the same streets.

That’s what makes the tension hurt.

As suspicion creeps in, every glance, pause, and unfinished sentence carries weight. Damon and Affleck don’t oversell it — the fear that the other guy might be the one who cracks feels natural, almost inevitable.

There’s also an undeniable meta-layer here: two actors who’ve been famous — and friends — for over three

decades now playing men who might not survive mistrust.

It works because it’s honest.

Joe Carnahan’s DNA: Old-School Grit, Modern Anxiety

Joe Carnahan has always loved cop movies — but The Rip isn’t nostalgia bait.

He openly cites influences like:

• Serpico

• Prince of the City

• Michael Mann’s Heat

But instead of romanticizing the badge, Carnahan focuses on erosion: how pressure, fear, and temptation chip away at good intentions.

The title itself comes from real police slang — a “rip” refers to cops seizing illegal weapons, drugs, or cash. Carnahan learned the term from a close friend in Miami law enforcement, grounding the story in lived experience rather than Hollywood fantasy.

This isn’t about heroes vs villains.

It’s about what happens after the money is found.

A Stacked Ensemble That Feels Like a Real Unit

Beyond Damon and Affleck, The Rip boasts one of the strongest ensembles Netflix has assembled for a crime thriller:

• Steven Yeun

• Teyana Taylor

• Sasha Calle

• Catalina Sandino Moreno

• Scott Adkins

• Kyle Chandler

• Néstor Carbonell

• Lina Esco as Jackie Velez

Carnahan emphasizes that the cast didn’t just show up and perform — they bonded. That chemistry matters. The team feels like a unit, not a lineup of stars waiting for coverage.

And in a film about trust, authenticity is everything.

The Central Question: Are They the Good Guys?

The teaser trailer doesn’t sell explosions or spectacle — it sells doubt.

Carnahan openly frames the movie around one question that keeps resurfacing:

“Are we the good guys?”

That’s a dangerous question for cops holding millions in unclaimed cash.

The film doesn’t approach this cynically, though. Carnahan has been clear that The Rip isn’t anti-police — it’s pro-human. It argues that good people exist, but even good people crack under impossible pressure.

That balance could be what sets this apart from standard crime thrillers.

Why The Rip Could Be Netflix’s Sleeper Hit of 2026

• Prestige cast with proven chemistry

• Director experienced in gritty, grounded thrillers

• Morally complex story instead of surface-level action

• Streaming release eliminates box-office pressure

This is the kind of movie that thrives on word of mouth, not opening weekend numbers. Expect heavy discussion once it drops — especially around its ending and character choices.

Where to Watch The Rip

• Streaming Platform: Netflix

• Release Date: January 16, 2026

• Availability: Worldwide streaming on release day

No theatrical window. No waiting. Just press play.

Final Thoughts: A Crime Thriller About Trust, Not Triggers

The Rip isn’t trying to reinvent the crime genre — it’s trying to strip it down.

No easy heroes.

No clean hands.Just people, pressure, and the kind of decisions that ruin friendships forever.

If you’re tired of empty spectacle and want a crime thriller that actually bites, this one belongs on your watchlist.