Joe Carnahan’s The Rip opens on Netflix on January 16, 2026, reuniting Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in a compact, anxiety-driven crime drama. The film’s central conceit — a Miami TNT unit discovering millions in cash — drives a night-long study of loyalty and temptation that critics have called both effective and uneven.
Table of Contents
What is The Rip about? (spoiler-free)
The Rip follows Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Matt Damon) and Detective Sergeant JD Byrne (Ben Affleck) and their TNT squad after they find a vast stash house haul. The discovery fractures trust within the unit as outside forces and personal pressures converge. The film is directed and written by Joe Carnahan and runs roughly 113 minutes.
Key production details and release
- Director/writer: Joe Carnahan.
- Principal cast: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Kyle Chandler.
- Distributor: Netflix — streaming from 16 January 2026.
How did critics react? (The Rip review and rating)
Reviews published between 15–16 January 2026 trend mixed-to-positive. Several critics praised the Damon–Affleck chemistry and the first hour’s tension, while others criticised the film’s pervasive murk and familiar cop-thriller beats. Aggregators and roundups placed the film in a broadly favorable zone (mid-80s on some critic aggregates at publication).
- Positive notes: strong central performances, tight first hour, competent direction from a genre veteran.
- Criticisms: overlong gloom, predictable twists, and cinematography that sometimes obscures action.
Themes and analysis — what the film tries to do
Carnahan frames The Rip as a moral pressure test: grief, debt, and institutional strain inform characters’ choices. The film repeatedly asks whether loyalty to comrades or loyalty to duty will prevail when millions of dollars are suddenly within reach. Carnahan told the press that aspects of the story draw on real incidents and personal loss, lending the script a particular emotional register that some reviews found compelling.
Bottom line — is The Rip worth watching? (spoiler-free verdict)
The Rip will appeal to viewers who favour old-school, adult crime dramas anchored by star turns. Those seeking novelty or brighter tonal variance may find it wanting. As a Netflix original for January 2026, it succeeds as a compact, performance-led entry in the cop-thriller canon, even if it doesn’t fully transcend genre conventions.
Bullet points: exact, verifiable items from reviews and coverage
- Streaming on Netflix: January 16, 2026.
- Director/writer: Joe Carnahan; runtime ~113 minutes.
- The cast includes Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle, and Kyle Chandler.
- Critical snapshots: mid-range aggregate scores; praise for Damon/Affleck performances; common complaint about the film’s dour tone.
- Reporting and features note Carnahan’s stated inspiration from real police incidents and personal loss.
