--- title: "The Rip: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-rip/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-rip" critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 20 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Rip (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 68 from 20 reviews: 12 positive, 6 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics like The Rip, if rarely with much heat. The consensus is that Joe Carnahan has made an old-fashioned cop thriller in the 1970s mould and delivers what the genre promises: a tight siege premise, steadily rising tension, car chases, gunfire and a cast that plays it straight. Praise clusters on Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, whose easy rapport carries the film, and on Carnahan’s direction, which several reviews call his most assured work in years. Steven Yeun and Kyle Chandler are picked out among the supporting players. The reservations start once the film leaves the siege. Several critics find the third act more generic than the first, with the unmasking of the villain letting the air out, and RogerEbert.com and Variety both think the closing scenes run long. The spread is wide. Sight and Sound and Deadline rate it as fresh, top-flight genre work, while The New York Times calls it an inert dirty-cop knock-off and The Independent finds it charmless and thinly written, wasting its ensemble. ## Sight and Sound — Quentin Tarantino Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 4 June 2026. Tarantino praises Carnahan's thriller as one of the finest modern examples of classic 1970s-style cop movies, with a gripping premise, clever screenplay, strong direction, cast, and cinematography that sustains suspense throughout. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/features/reservoir-cops-quentin-tarantino-rip) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 15 January 2026. The critic describes it as an enjoyably aggro Netflix heist movie about Miami cops tempted by $20 million, praising the concussive thriller elements from the Narc director. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-rip-netflix-movie-review-ben-affleck-matt-damon-1235173331/) ## RogerEbert.com — Brian Tallerico Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 15 January 2026. Carnahan delivers an effectively entertaining Netflix original cop thriller that plays like a theatrical release, with strong character work from the leads. The critic praises the film's momentum, loyalty twists, and old-school appeal while noting it runs a bit long in the final scenes. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-rip-netflix-matt-damon-ben-affleck-movie-review-2026) ## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 2026. The critic calls it a meat-and-potatoes genre picture and enjoyably retro diversion that delivers the genre goods with legible direction, steady tension escalation, and unfussy action, despite no real surprises. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-rip-review-matt-damon-ben-affleck-joe-carnahan/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 15 January 2026. The critic calls it a brawny and efficient Netflix cop thriller that doesn't reinvent the genre but delivers entertaining closed-quarters tension, car chases, and gunfire thanks to Carnahan's direction and a strong cast led by Damon and Affleck. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-rip-review-matt-damon-ben-affleck-netflix-teyana-taylor-1236474437/) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 22 January 2026. Carnahan’s slick, trust-no-one heist thriller reunites Damon and Affleck in a dark, cinema-worthy crime story that rivals their earlier studio films and stands out among Netflix originals. The critic highlights the impressive ensemble, intricate twists, and cinematic ambitions while noting a weak epilogue. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/the-rip-review-netflix-matt-damon-ben-affleck-1236633831/) ## The AV Club — Jarrod Jones Rating B. 15 January 2026. The critic views it as Carnahan's best film in years, a flawed but dependable mid-tier action movie with grizzled performances, gunplay, and twists that signals a creative second wind, though not as gripping as Narc. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-rip-review) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 74/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 2026. The critic sees it as a boisterous, enjoyable Friday-night crowdpleaser buoyed by the stars' chemistry and Carnahan's brash direction, but ultimately a macho pulp film best enjoyed casually and forgotten quickly. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jan/16/the-rip-review-ben-affleck-and-matt-damon-tear-through-flashy-netflix-bro-thriller) ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 2026. The critic calls it a sharp, tense, and mostly tightly constructed crime thriller in the old-school tradition that returns Carnahan to his roots. He singles out the twisty script, moral murkiness, and enjoyable turns from Damon and Affleck for praise, while noting the third act feels more generic. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-rip/) ## Radio Times — Matt Glasby Rating 3/5. 16 January 2026. Glasby finds the Damon-Affleck reunion and Carnahan's direction deliver an exciting, well-acted adrenalised action flick with a strong first act and moral dilemma, but it becomes less satisfying as it expands beyond the siege premise and feels less than the sum of its parts. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/the-rip-review-netflix/) ## The Telegraph — Tim Robey Rating 3/5. 16 January 2026. The review calls it a sinewy if not especially smart Netflix thriller about police corruption and temptation, with strong work from the leads in a Heat/Miami Vice-style setup; it is only half good but also not half bad. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2026/01/16/the-rip-review-matt-damon-ben-affleck/) ## Financial Times — Danny Leigh Rating ★★★☆☆. 15 January 2026. The critic views the film as basic beer-and-pizza cop-thriller material with snap from Carnahan and a high-end finish from the stars, interesting mainly as a test case for the leads' Netflix profit-sharing experiment. [Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/bd0db2ac-f345-4fa3-9808-b85ac13a5d6a) ## The New York Times — Brandon Yu Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 15 January 2026. The film is a rote Netflix crime thriller with all the concepts of a dirty-cop story but little actual entertainment, feeling like an inert Training Day knockoff. The critic singles out the stiff, gesticulative tension and explanatory drama as major complaints. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/movies/the-rip-review.html) ## The Independent — Clarisse Loughrey Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 15 January 2026. The critic finds the film a charmless Netflix dud that wastes its stars and supporting cast in a thinly developed story with dialogue aimed at distracted viewers. She singles out the poor character work and underuse of the ensemble for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-rip-review-netflix-ben-affleck-matt-damon-b2901272.html) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 88/100 (inferred from the text). 15 January 2026. The critic praises the film as a fresh, smart, and wildly entertaining twisty cop drama that breathes new life into the genre with its Agatha Christie-like mystery elements amid violence and cartel intrigue. The standout elements singled out for praise are the top-form performances by Affleck and Damon, along with strong supporting turns from Yeun and Chandler. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2026/01/the-rip-review-matt-damon-ben-affleck-1236683410/) ## Collider — Robert Brian Taylor Rating B. 15 January 2026. The critic finds the film a modest, engaging enough by-the-book cop thriller that hits its single-quadrant target but fails to elevate the formula or stand out beyond its stars' presence. They single out the better-than-expected supporting cast and Carnahan's authentic-feeling direction and pacing for keeping it solid and mildly recommendable. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-rip-movie-review-matt-damon-ben-affleck-netflix/) ## The Playlist — Rodrigo Perez Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 2026. The critic praises it as muscular, confident genre filmmaking with procedural efficiency, paranoia, and strong tension from the Damon/Affleck dynamic and Carnahan's direction; it is brawny and moves well but is blunt, workmanlike, and not a masterpiece. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/the-rip-review-ben-affleck-matt-damon-clock-in-for-joe-carnahans-muscular-suspenseful-cop-thriller-20260115/) ## HeyUGuys — Linda Marric Rating 3/5. 16 January 2026. The critic calls it a solid, gripping cop thriller with strong performances from the leads and supporting cast, efficient direction, and enjoyable viewing, though it is not groundbreaking or genre-reinventing. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-rip-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 15 January 2026. The critic finds the first two-thirds pulse-pounding and an enjoyable homage to John Carpenter films with strong performances and claustrophobic camerawork, but notes that revealing the bad guy lets the air out of the picture and causes it to sputter. The main complaint is the lack of deep character stakes or individuality once the mystery resolves. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/reviews/the-rip-review-netflix-ben-affleck-matt-damon/) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Rating 5/10. 16 January 2026. The critic finds it a grim, dour crime thriller with a talented cast but familiar plotting and little character depth; it feels more like a pilot for a violent cop show than a full movie, with murky visuals and insufficient levity despite some strong moments. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/2076931/the-rip-matt-damon-ben-affleck-netflix-movie-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-rip.md