The Rip

Founded by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, Artists Equity has produced a variety of films over the past years (Small Things Like These, The Accountant 2, Kiss of the Spider Woman, to name a few) but The Rip marks the legendary duo’s first on-screen reunion since the studio’s inaugural release, Air. What is particularly invigorating about their ongoing collaboration is that it doesn’t trade in nostalgia (the fact that they never tried to make another Good Will Hunting is worthy of praise) but rather a genuine appreciation of their familiarity and creative shorthand.

Their personae in this cop thriller are almost a natural extension thereof: seasoned professionals shaped by their experience and whose frustration with departmental bureaucracy drives them towards an investigation conducted on their own terms.

Miami Dade’s Tactical Narcotics Team is still reeling from the murder of a colleague, when an unexpectedly large sum of money found at a seizure exacerbates the mistrust within the unit.

Damon leads the division made up of One Battle After Another’s Teyana Taylor, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Steven Yeun, and Ben Affleck (whose character is told the promotion should have been his.) Further supporting roles see Kyle Chandler as part of the Drug Enforcement Administration and On Swift Horses’ Sasha Calle as a suspect in the stash house raid. The script largely leaves it open to the distinct backgrounds of the cast to add layers of texture to the interpersonal dynamics, but the gamble pays off. The lack of clear character exposition intentionally keeps viewers guessing, prompting them to question everyone’s motives and integrity.

Although Joe Carnahan both wrote and directed The Rip, Affleck’s touch is apparent in his scenes, where slick camera movements contrast the predominantly static compositions of the rest of the film. One cannot help but wonder what else Affleck might have been able to pull from the subject matter, had he directed the feature, but this doesn’t diminish Carnahan’s solid craftsmanship. The tension builds steadily, foregoing early spectacle so it can ultimately erupt into a kinetic showdown, which should please fans of police procedurals and action alike.

The Rip doesn’t redefine the Damon-Affleck cinematic universe, but it doesn’t need to. In an industry obsessed with reinvention, the film finds its strength in something rarer: continuity, trust and the power of two actors who know exactly how to play off each other. It is a pleasantly exciting addition to an evergreen genre and stands out amid recent Netflix releases.