Ever since Good Will Hunting in 1997, movie fans have been kind of obsessed with the bromance between Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, who were friends long before they were famous. In their latest project together — Joe Carnahan’s The Rip, which hit the 2026 Netflix schedule on January 16 — they play members of the Miami Police Department, where suspicions rise amongst the officers after $20 million is recovered from a stash house.
In addition to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, The Rip also stars several other recognizable names, including Steven Yeun, Scott Adkins, Kyle Chandler and Teyana Taylor — whom we just saw give an inspiring acceptance speech at the Golden Globes. Critics were able to screen the new movie release, and Jake Cole of Slant rates it 3 stars out of 4, calling it a meat-and-potatoes action thriller that offers no real surprises, but makes for an enjoyably retro diversion. The critic writes:
Carnahan ratchets up a feeling of dread that positions The Rip closer in spirit to the work of John Carpenter than your run-of-the-mill crime thriller. The house that the cops raid is blanketed by a fog so thick that not even streetlights can illuminate much more than a few feet past the driveway, and the metallic tint of the film’s color timing gives the impression that the characters are standing in a giant gun barrel waiting for the bullet at the other end to be fired. … The tension only deepens instead of lessening as the cops are left with no one to fear but each other.
Eric Francisco of Esquire loves absolutely everything about The Rip — except for the fact that a killer Affleck/Damon movie is being dumped to only Netflix subscription holders in the middle of January. The nerve! Francisco continues:
The Rip is a welcome, maybe even necessary reminder of the mid-range pictures that kept Hollywood steady and made going to the movies fun. … I’m sure the rest of 2026 will deliver better pictures—it’s only January, and a Netflix release means I’m doomed to memory-hole The Rip by Q2. Netflix sure will. But these days I’m embracing anything that feels dirty and heavy and real. I’m embracing movies made with expertise honed from years of trying, not made through efficiency. The Rip isn’t going to change the world. It’s just making it bearable to live in it. I would have even paid for the pleasure.
Brian Truitt of USA TODAY gives the upcoming action movie 3 out of 4 stars, saying the decades-long history between the lead actors adds nuance to their friendship and friction in The Rip. Truitt continues:
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are such best friends that, when they throw down in The Rip, it’s like watching your mom and dad fight – albeit with more macho swagger and icy man-glares. Their on-screen conflict fuels the chaos and distrust when a group of Miami cops are faced with moral questions and a ton of cash in the cop thriller, cowritten and directed by Joe Carnahan. Damon and Affleck lead a starry action vehicle – including Golden Globe winner Teyana Taylor – that, even with some plot issues and an overbearing intensity, is way better than most straight-to-Netflix potboilers.
#the rip cast, #ben affleck, #matt damon ben affleck the rip, #rip, #matt damon ben affleck movie the rip, #the rip movie matt damon, #the rip reviews, #chris casiano, #ben affleck matt damon the rip, #the rip rotten tomatoes,
