The Rip Netflix premieres in the UK on January 16, 2026 as a tense, character-driven crime thriller starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Set in Miami and directed by Joe Carnahan, the film follows a small narcotics unit that uncovers more than $20 million in cartel cash and is required by police procedure to count it on site while danger gathers outside. The high-pressure premise has already drawn strong interest from British viewers looking for practical details about the cast, run time and background to the story. What begins as a routine operation quickly turns into a psychological standoff that tests loyalty, integrity and nerve, reports The WP Times.

What the film is really about – a precise look at the plot

At its core, the story is a tightly constructed moral thriller. Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Matt Damon) and Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne (Ben Affleck) are veteran partners in Miami-Dade’s Tactical Narcotics Team. During what appears to be a routine raid, they discover an attic packed with more than $20 million in cartel cash.

Police protocol demands that the money be counted on site — a rule designed to ensure transparency and protect evidence. The film’s entire tension grows from that single requirement. What should be a procedural formality slowly turns into a psychological trap.

Confined to a small house, surrounded by potential threats and an unimaginable sum of money, the officers begin to question each other’s motives. The drama is not built on explosions or chases, but on shifting loyalties, wounded pride and the corrosive effect of temptation.

A line from the trailer summarises the film’s thesis with blunt efficiency: “From the outside looking in, it seems simple. On the inside, it’s different.”

The Rip Netflix cast – characters and performances

One of the main reasons for the film’s high profile is The Rip Netflix cast, led by two of Hollywood’s most recognisable stars.

Main ensemble

• Matt Damon – Lieutenant Dane Dumars
• Ben Affleck – Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne
• Steven Yeun – Detective Mike Ro
• Teyana Taylor – Detective Numa Baptiste
• Catalina Sandino Moreno – Detective Lolo Salazar
• Kyle Chandler – Matty Nix
• Néstor Carbonell – Major Thom Vallejo
• Lina Esco – Captain Jackie Velez
• Sasha Calle – Desi

The film avoids portraying its officers as action heroes. Instead, the characters are written as believable working detectives placed under unbearable pressure. Dumars is cautious and methodical, recently promoted and suddenly responsible for leading his former equals. Byrne, meanwhile, is volatile and resentful that his longtime partner has become his superior.

“Dumars has just been promoted,” Affleck explains. “We’ve been peers for our whole careers, and now he’s been made the boss of the group.” That shift in hierarchy drives much of the psychological tension at the heart of The Rip Netflix.

Is The Rip Netflix based on a true story

One of the most frequent questions from viewers is whether the story is drawn from real events. The short answer is no — the plot, characters and specific incidents are entirely fictional. Yet the scenario feels authentic for a reason. The film is built around a genuine Miami-Dade Police Department procedure that requires officers to count large cash seizures at the scene rather than later at headquarters. The rule exists to prevent tampering, protect evidence and reduce the risk of internal corruption.

By placing its characters inside that very real framework, the story explores a believable “what if” situation: what happens when honest professionals are forced to follow strict protocol while surrounded by overwhelming temptation and imminent danger.

Writer-director Joe Carnahan uses the procedure as a dramatic pressure point, turning a routine task into a psychological endurance test. The result is not a documentary-style reconstruction, but a grounded thriller that feels plausible because it grows out of real law-enforcement practice.So while nothing on screen is taken from a documented case, the ethical conflict at the heart of the film is rooted firmly in reality.

The Rip Netflix run time – what viewers need to know

One of the first practical questions for UK audiences is simple: how long does the film actually last? Search data shows that many viewers check The Rip Netflix run time before deciding when to watch. Here are the confirmed facts:

• Official run time: 1 hour 52 minutes
• Total length: 112 minutes

That duration places the movie firmly in the traditional thriller range — long enough to develop character and tension, but short enough to avoid unnecessary padding. Director Joe Carnahan has built a reputation for tightly edited, fast-moving dramas, and this film follows the same approach. For viewers, it means a focused, single-sitting watch rather than an overextended streaming epic.

Production and budget – how much did The Rip cost

Another frequent question concerns the scale of the project.Despite online speculation, Netflix has not officially disclosed the production budget for The Rip movie. No verified figure has been released by the studio, producers or director.

What is clear is that the project benefits from major star power, an experienced technical crew and extensive location shooting in Florida – all signs of a significant investment. Until formal numbers are published, however, the exact cost of The Rip Netflix remains unknown.

Themes and ideas behind The Rip movie

At its core, the film explores three interconnected ideas:

• Temptation – what happens when honest people face extraordinary opportunity
• Trust – how quickly loyalty can collapse under pressure
• Power – how authority changes personal relationships

Ben Affleck summarises the dilemma: “It begs the question: what do you do when faced with this massive temptation? And then also, who do you trust?” Director Joe Carnahan frames the scenario as a classic siege thriller: “They can’t leave, which makes them targets for a bunch of bad guys. And now they have to count the money, not knowing necessarily who to trust – including one another.”

These tensions transform a routine police operation into a life-or-death standoff. As the premiere approaches, viewers are checking The Rip Netflix IMDb page for official credits and updates. User scores and reviews will begin to appear immediately after release.At present, there is no published critical consensus for The Rip Netflix Rotten Tomatoes score. Those ratings will only become available once professional reviews are submitted following the streaming debut.

Where to watch The Rip Netflix

The Rip Netflix will be available to stream exclusively on Netflix worldwide from January 16, 2026.

• No theatrical release is planned
• Available in all Netflix regions
• Watchable on smart TVs, laptops, tablets and phones
• Included with standard Netflix subscriptions

Search interest around “where to watch The Rip Netflix” suggests strong global anticipation for the Damon–Affleck reunion.

Essential facts at a glance – information table

What makes this crime drama worth watching on Netflix in the UK

For British viewers looking for something beyond routine blockbusters, the film offers a grounded, character-driven alternative. Unlike many modern Netflix releases, it is built around a realistic police scenario rather than special effects or franchise mythology. The story is rooted in genuine Miami-Dade procedures that require officers to count large cash seizures on site — a rule designed to prevent corruption and evidence tampering.

The production brings together two major Hollywood stars who have not shared a leading thriller role in years. It also marks another collaboration between Ben Affleck and director Joe Carnahan, known for intense, dialogue-led crime films such as Narc and The Grey. With a confirmed run time of 112 minutes, the movie follows a classic theatrical format, avoiding the trend of overlong streaming dramas.

Netflix data shows that adult crime thrillers consistently rank among the platform’s most-watched genres in the UK, particularly in the winter release window. That timing, combined with a high-profile cast and a single-location pressure-cooker plot, positions the film as one of the key Netflix titles for January 2026.

FAQ – The Rip Netflix

Is The Rip Netflix based on real events?
No. The plot of The Rip is fictional and not connected to any specific criminal case. However, the film is inspired by real Miami-Dade Police Department procedures that require officers to count large cash seizures on site before the money is removed as evidence. This rule exists to prevent tampering and corruption, and it forms the central realistic element of the story.

Is The Rip Netflix a series or a movie?
The Rip is a standalone feature film, not a series. There are no episodes and no season format. It is a single crime thriller with a complete self-contained storyline.

How long is The Rip on Netflix?
The confirmed run time of The Rip Netflix is 1 hour 52 minutes (112 minutes). This places the film within the standard length for a modern crime thriller and makes it suitable for a single evening watch.

Who are the main characters in The Rip Netflix?
The film focuses on members of a Miami-Dade narcotics unit. The key characters are:

• Lieutenant Dane Dumars – played by Matt Damon
• Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne – played by Ben Affleck
• Detective Mike Ro – Steven Yeun
• Detective Numa Baptiste – Teyana Taylor
• Detective Lolo Salazar – Catalina Sandino Moreno
• Matty Nix – Kyle Chandler

The story centres on Dumars and Byrne, longtime partners whose relationship is tested after a sudden promotion changes the balance of power between them.

When is The Rip Netflix released in the UK?
The Rip Netflix release date is January 16, 2026. The film becomes available to stream in the United Kingdom on the same day as the global premiere.

Where can UK viewers watch The Rip?
The movie will be available exclusively on Netflix. There is no planned cinema release in Britain. Subscribers can watch it on all Netflix-supported devices, including smart TVs, computers, tablets and mobile phones.

What genre is The Rip Netflix?
The film is a crime thriller with psychological drama elements. It focuses on moral conflict, police procedure and character tension rather than action spectacle.

Will there be a sequel to The Rip?
At the moment, Netflix has not announced any sequel plans. The film has been produced as a complete standalone story.

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