The new film The Rip brings Ben Affleck back to the screen in a suspenseful cop thriller set in Miami, marking a reunion with his longtime collaborator Matt Damon and director Joe Carnahan. Scheduled for release on January 16, 2026, the Ben Affleck Netflix cop drama explores the intense, often grim realities law enforcement officers face when they uncover millions of dollars from a drug cartel stash.
Joe Carnahan Returns to Dark Police Drama
Director Joe Carnahan, who launched his filmmaking career in the cop thriller world with 2002’s Narc, returns to this genre with The Rip. Carnahan also directed Affleck in the 2006 crime action movie Smokin’ Aces and most recently helmed the 2021 action-comedy thriller Copshop. Known for his signature style that blends fast-paced action with complex character development, Carnahan’s return to a gritty urban police story brings heightened anticipation for The Rip.
Affleck and Damon portray Miami detectives whose world spirals into chaos after stumbling across cartel cash. Their participation not only reflects confidence in Carnahan’s storytelling but also sets expectations for the electric on-screen dynamic reminiscent of the pairing of Jason Patric and Ray Liotta in Narc. That film showcased police officers wrestling with personal struggles and mutual distrust while investigating the murder of a fellow officer.
Comparing Characters: Affleck and Damon to Patric and Liotta
Narc focused primarily on two deeply flawed Detroit detectives, Nick Tellis (Jason Patric) and Henry Oak (Ray Liotta), who operated so deeply undercover that they often resembled the criminals they pursued. The film distinguished itself by probing these characters’ psychological depths, showing how narcotics police work can distort both identity and morality.
Tellis and Oak’s fragile partnership ultimately underscores the dangers of their profession—where truth-telling can have worse consequences than deception done for perceived justice. Oak’s personal agenda complicates their investigation, while Tellis longs for a quieter, less conflicted role within the force. This complex dynamic offers a thematic precedent for Affleck and Damon’s characters in The Rip, who must navigate similarly fraught and morally ambiguous terrain.
Classic Cop Films Influence The Rip’s Tone and Narrative
Joe Carnahan credits a number of groundbreaking police dramas as major influences on his work, particularly Sidney Lumet’s films Prince of the City (1981) and Serpico (1973). The latter left a lasting impression on Carnahan, especially a scene where Al Pacino’s Frank Serpico is shot in the face during a drug raid. Carnahan recalls being most struck not by the shooting itself, but by the callous expressions of Serpico’s partners, who appear to have deliberately put him in harm’s way.
Carnahan revealed in an interview with Netflix’s Tudum that The Rip is inspired by a deeply personal story involving a close friend, a father and head of tactical narcotics for the Miami-Dade Police Department. Blending real-life experience with a passion for classic ‘70s cop thrillers known for rich character study and interpersonal tension, Carnahan connects his new film to a lineage of police dramas that include Serpico, Prince of the City, and Michael Mann’s Heat.
“The Rip came out of a deeply personal experience that my friend went through, both as a father and as head of tactical narcotics for the Miami-Dade police department. It’s inspired in part by my life and then by my enduring love for those classic ‘70’s cop thrillers that really valued the character and interpersonal relationships and became touchstones of that era — films like Serpico and Prince of the City and, more recently, Michael Mann’s Heat.”
— Joe Carnahan, Director
Legacy of Cop Thrillers: From Training Day to Brooklyn’s Finest
The release of Narc followed soon after the 2001 thriller Training Day, which plunged audiences into a morally complex day in the lives of corrupt Los Angeles officers Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) and Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke). This thematic exploration of the gray zones in police work continued in 2009’s Brooklyn’s Finest, which reunited Hawke with director Antoine Fuqua. Although Hawke portrays a new character, both films share a commitment to exposing the gritty, conflicted nature of law enforcement.
Similarly, The Rip appears to carry forward this legacy, delving into the moral compromises faced by Ben Affleck’s JD Byrne and Matt Damon’s Dane Dumars. Their fateful decision to take millions in cartel money sets a dark trajectory that challenges their loyalties and principles. Supported by a strong ensemble cast that includes Kyle Chandler, the film offers a tense and emotionally charged exploration of systemic corruption and personal downfall shaped by Carnahan’s trademark intense and nuanced storytelling style.
With its release on Netflix, The Rip has the potential to become a defining entry in the modern cop thriller genre, delivering a hard-hitting, realistic portrayal of police life that challenges audiences while honoring the genre’s classic roots.
Strong Supporting Cast Enhances The Rip’s Depth
Unlike the two-person focus of Narc, which centered on Jason Patric and Ray Liotta’s characters, The Rip surrounds Affleck and Damon with a larger ensemble. Kyle Chandler is among the prominent supporting actors, adding depth and gravitas to the story. This richer cast structure promises a layered narrative in which multiple relationships and conflicts come to the forefront alongside the main duo’s struggles.
Film Details and Availability
Narc remains available for viewers interested in experiencing Joe Carnahan’s earlier work, currently accessible for rent on Apple TV. Meanwhile, anticipation builds for The Rip, which is poised for its Netflix release early in 2026. Fans of intense cop dramas grounded in character-driven stories can look forward to a film that blends personal stories with the dark realities of law enforcement.
