“The Rip” is nothing new. That makes it sound bad, when it’s actually a very entertaining action-thriller. But the fact is that there’s nothing revolutionary or revelatory about writer/director Joe Carnahan’s latest film. A twisty, turny slice of dirty cops, with dashes of action and procedural, “The Rip” is incredibly solid built on excellent performances, engaging dialogue, and a strong command of atmosphere. Audiences won’t come away from it having discovered something previously unmined, but they will be satisfied they watched the propulsive movie as it’s done so well.
A police captain (Lina Esco) has been murdered. FBI Agents (Scott Adkins, Daisuke Tsuji) are investigating the team that she led, the Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT), thinking that someone in the department is linked to the killing. Meanwhile the Major (Néstor Carbonell) is unable to put much effort into looking into the murder, which only further frustrates her second-in-command, Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Matt Damon). Dumars rounds up TNT (Ben Affleck, Teyana Taylor, Steven Yeun, Catalina Sandino Moreno) to check on stash house. The occupant (Sasha Calle) pleads ignorance to anything going on, but it quickly becomes clear that the place is full of a lot of money. Way more than they could have ever guessed. That much money thrown into an already tense situation makes trust quickly disintegrate amongst TNT, as no one is sure who is on the level and who is out for themselves.
Why is so much of Netflix’s content so ephemeral? It can’t be from watching it at home, as I watch plenty of films at home and some I love and remember quite vividly. But “The Rip” is like far too many other movies from the service in that it doesn’t have the sticky staying power it should. There’s no real urgency to revisit Carnahan’s film even for just a scene. Which is weird because it is entertaining in the moment and enjoyable enough to discuss. Maybe because Netflix approaches so many of these works as second screen entertainments, or maybe it’s the fault of “The Rip” itself and it’s a coincidence that this problem extends to so many other Netflix titles.
It’s especially vexing because “The Rip” is engrossing in the moment. Carnahan’s script and direction create a great sense of tension and paranoia. He first does a good job establishing these characters and their familiarity with each other but leaves enough obscured so that audiences are never quite sure if everything is at it seems. The frustration and confusion helps that distrust build over the course of the movie, with all the characters (including the leads) still seemingly suspect until proven otherwise, and then leads to an explosive climax. The final act doesn’t quite work as it feels more like tacked on action than a natural extension of the preceding events, but it’s still handled well enough that it remains entertaining and pretty satisfying.
Along with Carnahan’s script and direction, director of photography Juan Miguel Azpiroz is a major contributor to the atmosphere of “The Rip.” The muted lighting and slight foggy/smoky look add to the heightened realism while still feeling tactile and grounded. It’s an incredibly well-shot film that feels like it exists both in our world and in one of even greater shades of gray (without being bland or stale in visuals). Furthermore, all the actors bring it and do a good job of having chemistry with each other but still enough distance that they all remain suspect until the reveal. They feel like real people and that’s part of the reason their morality is so easy to second-guess.
We’ve seen the murky police story before – from “Training Day” to “The Departed” to Carnahan’s own “Narc.” “The Rip” doesn’t add anything new to the pantheon of those morally ambiguous tales of corruption exploring the thin line that exists between cop and criminal. But it does stand well beside them in that sub-genre as it’s an entertaining movie that smartly makes everything feel dodgy. Using crafty editing, writing, cinematography, and performances to really drive that paranoia, it is engrossing in the moment and has a naturally propulsive rhythm (that does go a bit off in the final act). “The Rip” isn’t revolutionary but it is solid; you may not run back to it once it’s over, but you won’t regret spending your time with it.
By the way—If anyone is looking for an excuse to get blind drunk, might I suggest a drinking game for every time they say “rip” in “The Rip”? I don’t know if it’s an in-joke, or Netflix was worried people wouldn’t get the title, or what…but it’s said so often that it becomes quasi-parodic. That’s neither here nor there to the quality of the movie, but it’s a weird tic that makes the titular line awkward through semantic satiation.
3.5 / 5 Stars
Directed by: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Teyana Taylor, Steven Yeun, Kyle Chandler, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Sasha Calle, Scott Adkins, Daisuke Tsuji, Néstor Carbonell, Lina Esco
