It makes me feel old realizing that Joe Carnahan’s classic crime thriller Narc (2002) is now over 23 years old. With only his second film as director, Carnahan constructed one of the grittiest and most compelling crime thrillers of the decade, one that worked as a perfect calling card for a new talent. Eschewing the typical modern (at the time) Hollywood style employed by so many directors of that era, Carnahan’s film looked back the way, bringing to mind the 1970s works of such directors as William Friedkin and Kinji Fukasaku.
Since then, Carnahan has paved out quite an interesting career for himself, filled with an assortment of quality movies and television work. Whilst his career may not have gone the way many expected, his films for the most part are distinctly his own. He has stepped his toes into the blockbuster arena with the likes of the A-Team (2010), but even then he managed to inject the film with his own distinctive style, even if it was slightly diluted.
As great as many of his ensuing works have been, personally none of them have ever rivaled the adrenaline rush of Narc. That was why his latest film The Rip was such a tantalizing prospect, as it returned Carnahan to the corrupt cop genre that helped build his name. Not only that, he has done it alongside two heavyweight stars in the shape of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, whose star quality raises this well above the last couple of Carnahan movies.
Inspired by a true story, The Rip opens with the murder of Miami-Dade Police Department Captain Jackie Velez (Lina Esco). With the murder going unsolved for 6 weeks, the suspicion has begun to fall on Jackie’s specialized unit, the Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT). Infuriated about the implication, the TNT team put their focus into their work after team lead Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Matt Damon) receives a tip about a suspected stash house.
What is meant to be a routine bust escalates when the team discovers over $20 million in cash. With such a large discovery, the trust between the team starts to splinter, with each of them having differing ideas of what they should do with the money. At the same time, they have to deal with the fast approaching cartel members who want their money back. As the night develops, the team start to realize that the cartel may not be the worst they are faced with. Before the night ends loyalties will be tested with the real question being, who can you trust?
First things first, The Rip doesn’t reach the classic status of Narc. But that doesn’t stop Carnahan from trying. This is one quality action thriller, with Carnahan getting to cut loose with several quality set pieces that further cements his talent for action. Of course, the action wouldn’t be as memorable if The Rip wasn’t bolstered by an intriguing plot and excellent performances. The mystery element may be obvious to some, but Carnahan makes sure to keep the tension rising, with it never being abundantly clear who is telling the truth.
Carnahan has great fun with the mystery element of the plot, with it almost falling into Agatha Christie territory. Well that is if Miss Marple could handle a machine gun. Like most of Christie’s work, it isn’t until the final 3rd act when everything is revealed. Up until then it isn’t even clear who the actual hero of the film is, or if there even is one.
Backstory to the characters is kept to a minimum, with Carnahan’s script stripping everything back to the bare essentials. Like one of my personal favorites Walter Hill, Carnahan instead lets you get to know the characters through their actions instead of through tedious exposition.
Damon and Affleck’s easy camaraderie is played up in the earlier moments of the film but the dynamic begins to change as the film proceeds, with their almost antagonistic relationship being a nice change from their previous co-starring roles.
Damon probably gets the meatier role of the two, with his character appearing to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. Recovering from a personal tragedy, it would be understandable for Dane to go rogue and decide to keep the money for himself. Carnahan keeps this aspect deliberately murky which further heightens the tension, with the level of mistrust slowly building within the team.
As well as getting to show off his acting chops, Damon also gets to take part in several action scenes, putting his old Jason Bourne skills to good use. Whilst the action may not be as elaborate as that of Damon’s super spy, it still puts him through his paces, with a variety of gunfights and hand to hand combat.
Affleck certainly fares better here than his last time working under Carnahan in Smoking Aces (2006). There he was shockingly killed before the film had even reached the midway point. Luckily, he is one of the leads this time, with him getting some great dialogue to chew on as well as getting to show off his action credentials. A variety of shootouts and a nifty car chase being just some of the highlights. Like Damon’s character, Affleck’s JD also is coming off his own personal loss but he doesn’t seem to be as disillusioned with the job as his friend. Or maybe he is just better at hiding, as with The Rip you’re never 100 percent clear who is telling the truth.
Damon and Affleck may be the main characters, but the supporting cast still get their chance to impress, albeit in smaller roles. Teyana Taylor, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Steven Yeun are good value as the other members of Damon and Affleck’s team, with Yeun getting the most amount of screen time out of the three, putting in a particularly nervy performance.
Sasha Calle impresses as the manipulative Desi, the owner of the stash house. Testing the team’s loyalties, Calle begins to put ideas into their heads and make them turn against each other. It isn’t initially clear whether she is doing this for self preservation or to help the cartel whose money she’s protecting. This is certainly a meatier role than her most famous one as Supergirl in the ill fated The Flash (2023).
Kyle Chandler is always good value, with his role being something of a departure for him. Like the majority of the main characters, it is never clear where his true loyalties lie, even if he does appear to be friends with the majority of Damon’s team.
As an action fan, it would be remiss of me not to mention fan favorite Scott Adkins. It would seem all the jokes about Adkins looking like Affleck finally paying off, with him getting the chance to play his brother. Like Chandler, his role is also something of a departure for him, with Adkins putting in a strictly non-action performance. The closest Adkins comes to fighting is when Affleck grabs him during the opening of the movie. This may disappoint martial arts fans but Adkins does particularly well here, with his verbal sparring with Affleck being a particular highlight of the film.
The Rip is a great way to kick off 2026. The only drawback is that with it being a Netflix movie that it has gone straight to streaming. I think The Rip would have played well in cinemas, especially in these quieter months. Either way, The Rip is still quality entertainment, with everyone at their best.
Plot: 4/5
Acting: 4.5/5
Action: 3.5/5
Overall: 4/5