The Rip arrived on Netflix on January 16, 2026, reuniting Hollywood powerhouses Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in a tense Miami-set thriller that explores loyalty, betrayal, and impossible moral choices. Written and directed by Joe Carnahan (The Grey, Narc), this action-packed crime drama follows a specialized narcotics team whose discovery of millions in cartel cash fractures their brotherhood and tests every allegiance. At 2 hours and 13 minutes, the film delivers relentless tension as trust disintegrates inside a run-down stash house while external threats close in from all sides. With its explosive action sequences, morally complex characters, and shocking revelations, The Rip asks a deceptively simple question: when millions of dollars appear and suspicion spreads like wildfire, who can you really trust?
The Complete Plot Breakdown
The Rip opens in the vibrant yet dangerous world of Miami’s drug enforcement landscape, where the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT) operates under extreme pressure. The team’s leader, Captain Jackie Velez, has just been murdered under mysterious circumstances, sending shockwaves through the department and triggering whispers about corruption within her own specialized unit. Rumors circulate that crooked cops have been robbing drug houses, raising suspicion about everyone on the team.
Lieutenant Dane Dumars, Jackie’s second-in-command and the team’s new leader, receives a tip about an address in Hialeah—a neighborhood controlled by powerful cartels. He assembles his fellow detectives: JD Byrne, Mike Ro, Numa Baptiste, and Lolo Salazar, leading them to search a seemingly abandoned house for illicit money. However, Dumars tells each team member a different amount about how much cash they expect to find, immediately planting seeds of doubt and distrust.
When the team enters the dilapidated stash house, they discover far more than anticipated—approximately twenty million dollars in cartel cash hidden throughout the property. The shocking find should be cause for celebration, representing a major victory against drug operations. Instead, it becomes a catalyst for paranoia as mysterious phone calls to the house threaten the team to leave immediately, suggesting the cartel knows exactly who’s inside and what they’ve discovered.
The tension escalates when Byrne confronts Dumars about lying regarding the original tip and the varying amounts he told each team member. Dumars refuses to show Byrne the tip information, fueling suspicion that the lieutenant might be planning to steal the money rather than turn it in. Fearing the worst about his commanding officer and mentor, Byrne contacts DEA Agent Matty Nix for advice. Nix plants the idea that Dumars may have been involved with Captain Velez’s death, further poisoning the atmosphere of trust.
As paranoia deepens, Byrne begins investigating independently. He explores a nearby house alone, realizing that the entire empty neighborhood is under cartel control—they’re not in an abandoned area but rather in the heart of enemy territory. Meanwhile, team member Desi overhears Dumars convincing Baptiste and Salazar to help him rob the stash, confirming Byrne’s worst fears about the lieutenant’s intentions.
The situation explodes when DEA Agent Nix arrives and opens fire on the team. His driver is killed in the ensuing firefight, while both Ro and Dumars sustain wounds. In the chaos of battle, shocking truths emerge: Nix admits that he and Ro ambushed and murdered Captain Jackie Velez. The betrayal runs deeper than anyone imagined—the corruption wasn’t with Dumars but with members supposedly on the right side of the law.
However, Byrne had anticipated this possibility. He had already alerted his brother Del, an FBI agent, after Dumars finally revealed his actual plan. The crew finds themselves cornered by federal authorities closing in from outside. In the desperate final moments, Ro attempts to flee but is chased down and arrested by Dumars despite his injuries. Meanwhile, Nix leads Byrne on an intense car chase through Miami’s streets. Byrne, driven by rage over Jackie’s murder—she was his romantic partner—shoots Nix dead, ending the DEA agent’s betrayal with brutal finality.
The film’s climax reveals Dumars’s true plan: he never intended to steal the money. Instead, he orchestrated an elaborate sting operation to expose the real corrupt officers—Mike Ro, Matty Nix, and two local Hialeah cops working with the cartel. The bags supposedly containing twenty million dollars that left the house actually contained nothing but Yellow Pages phone books from the stash house. The actual money never left the property and is now safely in DEA custody, with the amount officially confirmed to clear any suspicion from Byrne, Dumars, and the rest of their loyal team.
In the aftermath, justice is served on multiple levels. Desi, who served as Byrne’s informant during the operation, receives a twenty percent cut of the stash house money—a substantial four million dollar reward for her cooperation. Byrne and Dumars, battle-worn but vindicated, sit together on a Miami beach watching the sunrise. They remove the memorial bands from their shields honoring Jackie Velez, having finally delivered the justice she deserved.
The film ends on a poignant note as Dumars, who had expressed uncertainty about continuing as a police officer at the movie’s beginning, removes his badge entirely. As the two men contemplate their futures, they notice a young girl and her mother walking along the beach. When they learn the girl’s name is Jackie, the moment carries bittersweet resonance—a symbol of hope and innocence persisting even after so much violence and betrayal.
The Cast: Brotherhood and Betrayal
The Rip assembles an impressive ensemble led by two of Hollywood’s most enduring collaborators, creating a powder keg of talent that brings Joe Carnahan’s vision to explosive life.
Lead Cast
Matt Damon stars as Lieutenant Dane Dumars, the tactical team’s new leader navigating impossible choices in the wake of his captain’s murder. Damon, whose collaboration with Affleck dates back to their Oscar-winning Good Will Hunting screenplay, brings gravitas and moral complexity to a character who must appear potentially corrupt to expose actual corruption. His performance balances the physical demands of action sequences with the emotional weight of a man questioning whether he still wants to wear the badge after witnessing how deeply betrayal can run.
Ben Affleck portrays Detective Sergeant JD Byrne, Dumars’s right-hand man whose suspicion of his mentor creates the film’s central tension. Affleck, known for roles in Argo, The Town, and Gone Girl, plays Byrne as both loyal soldier and independent thinker—a detective whose instincts tell him something is wrong even as his heart wants to trust the man he’s served alongside for years. The revelation of his romantic relationship with the murdered Captain Jackie adds personal stakes to his quest for justice.
Steven Yeun appears as Mike Ro, the team member whose friendly exterior masks his role in the conspiracy. Yeun, celebrated for his work in Minari, The Walking Dead, and Nope, brings unexpected depth to what could have been a one-dimensional villain. His portrayal suggests a man who made compromises that gradually corrupted him completely, creating a character more tragic than simply evil.
Teyana Taylor plays Numa Baptiste, one of the tactical team members caught in the crossfire of distrust and violence. Taylor, a multi-talented performer known for her music career and roles in Coming 2 America and A Thousand and One, brings intensity to scenes requiring both action capability and emotional authenticity.
Sasha Calle portrays Lolo Salazar, another team member navigating the increasingly dangerous situation inside the stash house. Calle, who made her mark as Supergirl in The Flash, demonstrates range beyond superhero spectacle in this grounded crime thriller.
Catalina Sandino Moreno appears as Desi, the informant whose cooperation proves crucial to the operation’s success. Moreno, an Oscar nominee for Maria Full of Grace, brings credibility to a character who operates in the shadows while ultimately serving justice.
Kyle Chandler takes on the role of DEA Agent Matty Nix, the corrupt federal agent whose betrayal of Jackie Velez sets the story’s tragic events in motion. Chandler, beloved for Friday Night Lights and recent roles in Bloodline and Godzilla vs. Kong, subverts his typically heroic screen presence to create a villain whose institutional authority makes him particularly dangerous.
Scott Adkins, the acclaimed martial artist and action star known for the Undisputed and Accident Man franchises, brings his considerable physical prowess to the film’s intense action sequences. His involvement ensures the fight choreography maintains authenticity and impact.
Supporting Cast
Lina Esco and Nestor Carbonell round out the ensemble in supporting roles that populate Miami’s law enforcement landscape. Carbonell, particularly recognizable from Lost and The Dark Knight trilogy, lends his presence to the institutional framework surrounding the main characters’ moral crisis.
The chemistry between Damon and Affleck, forged through decades of friendship and multiple collaborations including Good Will Hunting, The Last Duel, and their co-founded production company Artists Equity, provides The Rip with authentic camaraderie that makes the potential betrayal between their characters feel genuinely devastating. Their real-life brotherhood translates into on-screen tension as viewers wonder whether these longtime partners will turn against each other when millions of dollars create impossible temptation.
The Soundtrack: Tension Through Music
The Rip features an original score composed specifically for the film, with 21 instrumental tracks that underscore the escalating paranoia, shifting loyalties, and violent confrontations that define the story. Unlike films that rely heavily on recognizable pop songs, The Rip uses original composition to create an immersive sonic landscape that mirrors the characters’ psychological deterioration.
Complete Soundtrack Listing
The film’s score includes these precisely titled tracks that correspond to key narrative moments:
- The Rip (3:42)Â – The title track establishes the film’s musical identity with tense, driving instrumentation
- Okay Buddy (1:17)Â – Brief tension as initial conversations reveal underlying distrust
- Drive (1:09)Â – Underscores the team’s approach to the stash house location
- Just Me (2:19)Â – Moments of isolation and individual doubt
- Tattoos (1:43)Â – Character-defining moments revealing backstory and identity
- A Blessed Night (1:53)Â – Ironic title for increasingly dire circumstances
- Redlined (1:42)Â – Crossing moral and legal boundaries
- Landline (1:06)Â – The mysterious threatening phone calls to the house
- Everything (0:59)Â – Stakes reaching their peak
- Price of a Police Captain (2:52)Â – Reflecting on Jackie Velez’s murder and its cost
- Walk It Out (2:52)Â – Attempts to leave the increasingly dangerous situation
- You a Snitch? (1:43)Â – Accusations and paranoia spreading through the team
- They Got Me (2:49)Â – Realization of being trapped or betrayed
- Own People (3:38)Â – The horror of betrayal from within
- Redial (1:53)Â – Continued threats and communication breakdown
- On Speaker (6:40)Â – The longest track, likely scoring major confrontations and revelations
- How Much You Got? (3:14)Â – The central question creating suspicion about the money
- Money (2:05)Â – The corrupting force at the story’s center
- To the Dollar (2:49)Â – Accounting for every cent and every betrayal
- The Last Thing (1:26)Â – Final confrontations approaching
- Right Here (1:38)Â – Resolution and aftermath
The track titles themselves tell a story, moving from initial tension through growing paranoia to violent confrontation and finally resolution. The longest piece, “On Speaker” at 6:40, likely accompanies the film’s climactic sequence where all secrets are revealed and the true conspiracy is exposed.
The score’s quick, sharply named tracks reflect the film’s pacing—brief moments of relative calm punctuated by explosive revelations and action. The music conceptually corresponds to major plot pressure points: discovering the money, suspicion spreading among the unit, external threats closing in, and the final reckoning that separates loyal officers from corrupt ones.
The soundtrack was released digitally on January 16, 2026, the same day as the film’s Netflix premiere, and is available on all major streaming platforms including Amazon Music, Spotify, and Apple Music.
Ending Explained: Justice, Redemption, and Moving Forward
The Rip’s conclusion delivers both action-packed resolution and emotional catharsis, revealing that Lieutenant Dane Dumars was never the villain many suspected but rather the architect of an elaborate operation to expose the real traitors within law enforcement ranks.
The True Plan Revealed
Throughout the film, Dumars’s suspicious behavior—lying about the tip, telling team members different amounts, seeming to recruit others to steal the money—was all theater designed to flush out the corrupt officers. His plan required making himself look guilty to see who would betray the department and who would remain loyal even under extreme pressure and temptation.
The twenty million dollars never actually left the stash house despite the appearance of bags being loaded into vehicles. Dumars had already coordinated with the DEA and FBI through JD Byrne’s brother Del to ensure the real money remained in proper custody while phone books substituted in the bags that corrupt officers attempted to steal. This elaborate deception allowed authorities to identify and arrest those genuinely working with the cartel.
Who Killed Jackie and Why?
The film’s central mystery—Captain Jackie Velez’s murder—finds its answer in the conspiracy between DEA Agent Matty Nix and Detective Mike Ro. These two were working with the cartel, likely providing protection and inside information in exchange for payoffs. Jackie, as an honest captain investigating corruption within her own unit, had gotten too close to exposing them. Her murder was designed to silence her investigation while creating chaos and suspicion within the department that would make uncovering the real conspiracy more difficult.
JD Byrne’s personal relationship with Jackie gives his quest for justice deep emotional resonance. His killing of Matty Nix during their final confrontation represents both professional duty and personal vengeance—delivering justice for a woman he loved who was murdered by someone sworn to uphold the law.
What Happens to Everyone?
The film’s resolution provides clear outcomes for each character:
Matty Nix – Killed by JD Byrne during their car chase, paying the ultimate price for betraying his oath and murdering Jackie Velez
Mike Ro – Arrested by Dane Dumars despite his attempt to flee, facing charges for corruption, conspiracy, and Jackie’s murder
The Hialeah Cops – Also arrested as part of the broader conspiracy with the cartel
Desi – Receives a twenty percent cut of the twenty million dollars (four million dollars) as reward for serving as JD’s informant and cooperating with the investigation
Numa Baptiste and Lolo Salazar – Finally allowed to go home after the harrowing ordeal, their loyalty to the department vindicated
Dane Dumars and JD Byrne – Sit together on a beach watching the sunrise, having survived the operation and delivered justice for Jackie. They remove the memorial bands from their badges honoring their fallen captain, symbolizing that they’ve fulfilled their duty to her memory.
The Symbolic Ending
The film’s final moments carry rich symbolism. Dumars removes his badge entirely, suggesting he may leave law enforcement after this traumatic experience. His earlier statement that he wasn’t sure he wanted to be a cop anymore finds physical expression in this gesture—the cost of justice and the weight of betrayal may have broken his commitment to the profession.
The appearance of a young girl named Jackie walking along the beach with her mother provides bittersweet closure. This coincidence reminds both men that life continues, innocence persists, and their sacrifice to root out corruption helps protect people like this child from the violence that claimed their captain’s life. The name Jackie, repeated in a new generation, suggests memory and legacy—that their fallen leader’s dedication to justice will be remembered even as the two men move forward with their own lives.
The sunrise itself symbolizes new beginnings after a long, dark night of betrayal and violence. Whether Byrne and Dumars continue as police officers or choose different paths, they’ve proven their integrity and honored their fallen comrade, allowing them to face whatever comes next with clear consciences.
Behind the Scenes: Inspired by True Events
The Rip carries the designation “inspired by true events,” grounding its fictional narrative in real-world law enforcement experiences. Writer-director Joe Carnahan has indicated the story draws from a friend’s harrowing experience during an actual raid, though the specific details have been fictionalized and dramatized for cinematic purposes.
This real-world foundation adds weight to the film’s moral questions about corruption, loyalty, and the impossible situations officers sometimes face. While the specific conspiracy and characters are fictional, the scenario of discovering massive amounts of cash during a raid and the subsequent temptation and paranoia reflects genuine challenges law enforcement faces when huge sums of illicit money create life-changing opportunities.
Carnahan, known for gritty, realistic action in films like Narc and The Grey, brings his signature style to Miami’s sun-drenched landscapes, creating visual contrast between the bright exterior world and the dark moral choices characters make. His direction emphasizes practical action and character-driven tension over CGI spectacle, keeping the focus on human drama even during explosive sequences.
The collaboration between Damon and Affleck, facilitated by their production company Artists Equity, represents their continued commitment to creating adult-oriented dramas that tackle complex themes. Their involvement as both stars and producers ensured the film maintained focus on character development and moral complexity rather than sacrificing substance for action spectacle.
Critical Reception and Audience Response
The Rip premiered on Netflix to strong viewership, with audiences drawn by the reunion of Damon and Affleck and the promise of tense crime thriller action. The film’s 2-hour-13-minute runtime allows for both character development and sustained tension, giving the story room to breathe while maintaining narrative momentum.
Viewers have responded particularly strongly to the film’s twist—that Dumars was running an elaborate sting operation rather than planning to steal the money. This revelation recontextualizes earlier scenes, rewarding repeat viewings as audience members recognize how Dumars’s suspicious behavior was actually carefully calculated to expose the real traitors.
The action sequences, particularly the final confrontations between JD and Matty and between Dane and Mike, deliver the visceral impact audiences expect while serving the emotional stakes established throughout the narrative. The violence feels consequential rather than gratuitous, with each death or injury carrying weight within the story’s moral framework.
The chemistry between Damon and Affleck continues to resonate with audiences who have followed their careers since Good Will Hunting nearly thirty years ago. Their ability to convey brotherhood, suspicion, and ultimately renewed trust through looks and minimal dialogue demonstrates the shorthand that develops between actors who’ve worked together extensively across decades.
Why The Rip Resonates
Beyond its surface appeal as an action thriller, The Rip explores timeless themes about institutional corruption, the price of integrity, and how trust fractures under pressure. The film asks difficult questions about loyalty: when should you trust your instincts that something is wrong, and when should you maintain faith in people you’ve served alongside for years?
The corruption at the story’s heart—law enforcement officers working with cartels, using their positions to steal rather than protect—reflects ongoing real-world concerns about police accountability and the corrupting influence of the drug trade. By making some officers heroic while others are revealed as villains, the film avoids simplistic “all cops are good” or “all cops are bad” narratives, instead focusing on individual choices and moral complexity.
The twenty million dollars functions as both MacGuffin and moral test, revealing character through how each person responds to sudden, life-changing wealth. Some see it as their ticket to a better life, willing to betray oaths and colleagues. Others recognize that stealing the money would corrupt them more thoroughly than the criminals they fight. The film suggests that integrity isn’t about never being tempted but about choosing honor even when temptation is overwhelming.
Jackie Velez’s murder and the quest for justice that drives both Dumars and Byrne speaks to the film’s core belief that some things matter more than money or safety—that honoring the dead through delivering justice for their killers is worth risking everything.
Where to Watch
The Rip is streaming exclusively on Netflix worldwide as of January 16, 2026. The film carries an R rating for strong violence, language, and intense sequences appropriate to its crime thriller genre. At 2 hours and 13 minutes, it provides a complete, satisfying narrative that doesn’t require sequels or expanded universe setup—just compelling characters facing impossible choices in a pressure-cooker situation.
For viewers who appreciate crime thrillers with moral complexity, strong performances from established stars, and action sequences that serve character development rather than replace it, The Rip delivers an intense, rewarding experience. The film joins Netflix’s growing library of prestige crime dramas while standing on its own as a tightly constructed thriller that rewards both casual viewers seeking excitement and those looking for deeper themes about loyalty, justice, and the price of integrity in a corrupt world.
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