The Rip

Review by Balti

Release Date

16th January 2026

Should I watch this movie?

Loyalty's a four-letter word when dirty money talks, and this thriller rips the band-aid off the festering wound of corruption among supposed friends. When Captain Jackie Velez gets a one-way ticket to the morgue, her elite Tactical Narcotics Team finds itself under the kind of heat that melts badges, with whispers of crooked cops robbing drug houses echoing louder than any siren. Lieutenant Dane Dumars, a stone-cold Matt Damon, smells opportunity, not justice, when he tips his crew – including Ben Affleck’s J.D. Byrne – to a Hialeah goldmine of illicit cash. But the real score reveals itself when Dumars, with a shark's grin, feeds each team member a different number for the loot, twisting the screws of trust until loyalty's just another word for "sucker." This flick isn't just "good"; it's a brutal, sharp-edged descent into the kind of betrayal that makes you question every handshake, proving that sometimes, the best thrillers are the ones that remind you why you never trust a cop... especially your friends.

Beyond the cerebral sci-fi of Interstellar and the survival grit of The Martian, and even leaving aside Bourne's relentless, bone-shattering precision, this flick slammed just as hard, delivering a raw, visceral punch. The moment that twenty million in cartel cold hard cash was unearthed in the attic, the true game began, making it instantly clear who was about to be played. Dumars, eyes on the prize and disregarding every rule, blew past protocol, locking down his team, confiscating their comms, and betting it all on their silence. A tense standoff with local uniforms only sharpened their resolve, pushing them to arm up and meticulously tally the illicit fortune right there on site, the air thick with unspoken threats. Yet, even as the screws tightened, Ro was already running his own play, a burner phone a silent, ticking fuse in the escalating chaos. This wasn't just a casual watch; it was a high-octane, double-feature knockout, a ride so gripping it demanded a repeat viewing and delivered every single time.

Main Cast

Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Scott Adkins and Kyle Chandler.

Performance

When Matt Damon's name flashes on the marquee, you don't question it; you just grab your beer or popcorn, because the man's evolved into a cinematic juggernaut, a versatile force who commands the screen every damn time. He didn't just play a narcotics officer; he became one, all grit and no frills, making you believe every tough call and every street-level gamble. And speaking of believing, Ben Affleck, absolutely nailed the role of the guy you instinctively know is going to pull the rug out from under you; his scumbag portrayal was so convincing it felt like a public service announcement. Forget any lingering thoughts of him crunching numbers in a suit; Affleck here wasn't just good, he was dangerously good, proving he's got more range than a high-end sniper rifle. Ultimately, their combined talent isn't just a draw; it's a guarantee of raw, unvarnished performance that hits you right in the gut.

Production

Directed by Joe Carnahan. Screenplay by Joe Carnahan. Story by Joe Carnahan, Michael McGrale. Produced by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Dani Bernfeld and Luciana Damon.

Music & Soundtracks

Music by Clinton Shorter

Fun Facts

It is an utterly infuriating and repulsive truth that the very officials sworn to uphold justice in the USA are so often found rotten to the core, their hands deep in the insidious muck of drug-related corruption, primarily involving marijuana and cocaine. These contemptible public servants shamelessly engage in drug sales, trafficking, and brazenly offer protection to criminals, all for the sake of wretched, ill-gotten gains. While the immediate cause of this widespread depravity is undeniably money, the root of this cancerous betrayal lies in something far more insidious: the hypocritical inconsistency of our drug laws – particularly those prohibiting marijuana – which stand as a grotesque mockery of the fundamental philosophy of criminal justice, creating the very conditions ripe for such treachery. And to make matters worse, these corrupt officials, with their intimate knowledge of law enforcement, exploit the system with impunity, further shielded by an abominable "code of silence" that poisons the integrity of their ranks from within, rendering accountability a cruel joke; the alleged actions of Taylor, who on February 12, 2026, was accused of leveraging his NYPD influence to extort businessmen, serve as a stark, sickening reminder of how deeply this betrayal permeates our institutions. This pervasive, systemic corruption is a profound stain on the USA, demanding not just outrage, but immediate and unyielding rectification.