The Rip was an unexpected watch that completely flew under our radar. But with an all-star cast attached, curiosity got the better of us. Surely this had to be good, right? What we get instead is a mix of Hollywood A-listers anchored to an action thriller that ultimately stumbles in its final act. Thankfully, this isn’t your typical straight-to-streaming throwaway and the narrative is engaging from the outset and shows flashes of real potential that never gets fully realized.
When Captain Jackie Velez (Lina Esco) is murdered, suspicion immediately falls on one of the members of her elite Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT). With no concrete evidence, the investigation stalls. Soon after, her second-in-command, Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Matt Damon), receives a tip about a drug house, leading him and his fellow detectives into a search for illicit money. When the situation inside the house spirals out of control, the team realizes they’ve been set up and must fight to survive the night.
Going in with low expectations, The Rip proved to be a surprise at least initially. The veteran cast clearly isn’t just cashing a paycheck. From Matt Damon to Ben Affleck and Kyle Chandler, the actors squeeze every ounce of tension they can from a paper-thin script and underwritten characters. The film’s first half thrives on a solid cat-and-mouse mystery, centering on the question of which member of the TNT is the traitor. It’s genuinely engaging and keeps you guessing. Unfortunately, that momentum doesn’t last and as the film heads into its final act, the mystery loses steam. And for those seeking the film's more thrilling aspects, the action sequences, in particular, feel cheaply made. While not a total disaster, The Rip ultimately feels like a missed opportunity with its intriguing premise and committed performances weighed down by uneven execution.
The Rip (2026) Movie Review: Ripping It Up
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