By Steve Crum

For their 13th film acting together, beginning with 1997’s Good Will Hunting, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon star in The Rip. It’s an action-thriller worth seeing.  

Written and directed by Joe Carnahan (Narc; TV’s The Blacklist), The Rip deals with a Miami-Dade police narcotics team, particularly fellow cops Lt. Dane Dumars (Matt Damon) and Ben Affleck’s Det. Sgt. JD Byrne. After responding to a tip about a possible drug/money tie-in at a nearby house, the two (and three of their deputies) shockingly discover more than expected—way more. 

It is important to add that Dumars and Byrne are more than fellow police. They’ve been friendly rivals for years, constantly taking jibes at each other. Their remarks really establish their camaraderie with each other. That sets the film’s mostly serious tone in counterbalance. It so happens that there are rumors of crooked cops robbing drug houses. And what this unit finds at the house is mind bending. (Let’s just say it involves cash.) The results are immediate, with disguised phone calls threatening them to leave the house or else. Then Byrne and Dumars’ trust comes into play. Is either of them—or their team—honest or on the take? Paranoia reigns.

The majority of The Rip’s 113-minutes playing time is reminiscent of the classic Assault on Precinct 13 (both versions), which includes the tactical unit under fire in the house from unknown outside forces. That “under fire” references gunfire as well as the house being set on fire. 

There is also a subplot of sorts centering on Desi Molina (Sasha Calle), the late homeowner’s granddaughter, who reluctantly permitted the team to search her house. She becomes an active player in the unfolding story since her life is now at risk. 

Other key players, who do fine jobs, include: Steve Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Kyle Chandler. 

What more can a moviegoer want than The Rip’s slam bang finale tagged with a happy ending? 

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GRADE on an A-F Scale: B