The boundary between officer and outlaw becomes unclear in Joe Carnahan’s“The Rip,”a suspenseful crime drama taking place during a misty Miami evening, featuringMatt Damon and Ben Affleck.
Damon and Affleck, naturally, are strongly linked to Boston — most recently, they directed the 2024 heist film“The Instigators”there – that a detour to South Florida places them, somewhat awkwardly, in a completely different cinematic setting. This is “Miami Vice” territory or Elmore Leonard’s world, not Southie or “The Town.”
In “The Rip,” they portray Miami narcotics officers who discover a cartel stash house, which Lt. Dane Dumars (Damon) claims might contain $150,000 hidden in the walls. However, it ends up being over $20 million, transforming their Friday afternoon heist into an urgent siege where trust is impossible.
“The Rip,” premiering on Netflix this Friday, is a compact and powerful neo-noir film in which nearly all the characters are law enforcement personnel, yet it remains unclear who the genuine heroes are. It presents an appealing and relevant concept, despite “The Rip” explicitly marking its message on the surface.
When Dane meets the young woman (Sasha Calle) at the hidden location, who appears genuinely innocent, she notices the tattoos on his hands and inquires about their significance. One of them reads: “AWTGG”: “Are we the good guys?”
Despite the apparent certainty of the outcome in a film featuring Damon and Affleck, who also serve as producers, “The Rip” experiments with and challenges its genre in ways that can maintain your interest. (The ensemble also features Teyana Taylor, Steven Yeun, and Kyle Chandler.) Nevertheless, the exposition in “The Rip” is minimal and rushed, limiting the film’s exploration. We gain very little insight into the characters beyond the events depicted in the movie, causing all the possible betrayals to feel unconvincing.
Carnahan starts the movie with a series of intense inner questions. The Miami police force is filled with blame-shifting following the deadly shooting, depicted in the film’s opening scenes, of a detective (Lina Esco). Rapidly switching between heated accusations and strong defenses, it becomes clear that no one within the department knows who is honest and who is corrupt.
I despise it, buddy,” Dane says to Byrne. “I loathe being a police officer.
Different departments mix together, such as DEA agent Mateo “Matty” Nix (Chandler) and FBI agent Del Byrne (Scott Adkins). The constant presence of drug cartels and the inefficiency within the department have turned the police force into a group of corrupt individuals. When we see Dane’s team, they don’t seem very professional. On a Friday afternoon, they’re gathered outside drinking, with armored vehicles nearby. When Dane mentions he has a CrimeStopper tip to investigate, they head out in regular cars.
With him are four other detectives: JD Byrne (Affleck), Mike Ro (Yeun), Numa Baptiste (an underutilized Taylor, which, following “One Battle After Another,” should be against the law) and Lolo Salazar (Catalina Sandino Moreno). Dane and JD, as expected, have a strong bond. However, after they discover the money, the atmosphere changes. Dane doesn’t report the find to their superiors and instead requests that his team hand over their phones to him. Everyone starts to question: What’s happening? Is Dane involved in something illegal? A mysterious call arrives: Take $150,000 and leave, or everyone will die. It’s not the cartel making the call.
Carnahan, who also authored “The Rip,” has mentioned that the film is based on actual events shared with him by a Miami detective. However, much of the movie’s storyline may not seem very believable to many viewers. Nevertheless, Carnahan, similar to his dense atmosphere in the Liam Neeson wolf thriller “The Grey,” manages to bring a compelling sense of ambiguity to “The Rip,” making the film feel meaningful despite having far less snow.
Affleck and Damon have starred in over a dozen films together, yet their partnerships appear to be happening more often. They’ve frequently discovered intriguing approaches — such as in Ridley Scott’s“The Last Duel”— to mold and twist their own expectations while on screen. Typically, this involves roles that are anything but heroic, and often part of a group cast. (Their production company, Artists Equity, functions with an unusual profit-sharing arrangement for the cast and crew.)
As a B-grade film featuring a few big-name actors, “The Rip” is likely to be remembered as a minor and imperfect example of its genre. However, even in their less impressive work, the genuine chemistry between Damon and Affleck’s friendship continues to be appealing. Even in Miami.
“The Rip,” a film available on Netflix, has an R rating from the Motion Picture Association due to its depiction of violence and frequent strong language. Duration: 133 minutes. Rating: two stars out of four.
Jake Coyle, Associated Press