The RIP (2026)
The new Netflix action drama, The RIP reunites the dynamic duo from Boston (pronounced “Bahstin,” for those in the know) Matt Damon and Ben Affleck (as Lieutenant Dane Dumars and Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne respectively), but this time, they’re not cops in “Beantown,” they’re a part of the Tactical Narcotics Team in Miami, Florida. This action movie, written by Joe Carnahan and Michael McGrale and directed by Joe Carnahan, opens with the homicide (actually more like an assassination) of Captain Jackie Velez (Lina Esco) who we overhear on the phone assuring an informant that she will protect them.
Well, tragically, that’s not the case since Captain Velez is not even able to protect herself. But from the jump, it is unclear who might want to get rid of Velez and both typical bad guys and cops are suspects warranting an internal investigation in which Byrne is interrogated by his own brother, FBI Agent Del Byrne (Scott Adkins) for his potential involvement. Although Byrne and Velez were in a romantic relationship, it was quite possibly the worst kept secret in Miami, and Byrne, overlooked for the promotion that Dumars nabbed, may have several motives for her murder.
The movie largely unfolds in a home – actually, mainly in a dingy garage – to which Dumars leads his team after receiving an anonymous tip about a drug stash house full of cash. Is it $150,000.00 or $300,000.00? But when Dumars and Byrne arrive with Detective Numa Baptiste (Teyana Taylor), Detective Lolo Salazar (Catalina Sandino Moreno), and Detective Mike Ro (Steven Yeun), all is not as it seems. Alone in the house which she claims belongs to her grandmother is Desiree “Desi” Lopez Molina (Sasha Calle) who allows them access without a warrant. But is Desi compliant because she assumes the canine at Salazar’s side is a drug sniffing dog? In actuality, it’s a dog that has been trained to hunt for money, and boy is there a whole lot in this house! What the team discovers after removing walls in the attic is that the house is not being used to hide hundreds of thousands of dollars, but twenty million! As Desi feigns ignorance, it becomes clear that no one is above suspicion for wanting to steal the RIP. But the enemy in this action-packed tale is not necessarily just within. When the house comes under attack from a spray of machine gun fire, Dumars and Ro pursue the unknown assailant and Byrne shows up with a machine gun-toting cartel enforcer. But for his part, the cartel boss who communicates with Dumars and Byrne on a cell phone video call, assures them that the deceased captain was not his doing.
The riveting climax of the movie unfolds largely in the back of an armoured DEA truck in which DEA Agent Mateo “Matty” Nix (Kyle Chandler) arrives to save the day by taking Dumars, Byrne, Ro, and the money to safety. But as we soon come to find out, for some reason his usual team has not accompanied him, and he has failed to adhere to all the typical safety protocols. Suspicious much?
The excitement of The RIP is that there are too many potential suspects to count, like Dumars himself who has racked up medical debt after the death of his young son from cancer (the screen saver image of the young boy on his cell phone is a constant reminder of his unstated grief), Byrne who questions Dumars handling of the RIP and may harbour resentments from being passed over for promotion, Baptiste and Salazar who daydream about the debts they could clear if they walked away with the money, Ro who is continually making secret calls on a burner phone to an unknown person, and DEA agent Nix who shows up at Byrne’s bidding to assist in removing the RIP from the house.
The RIP is an intricate, suspenseful action movie with a stellar cast, and a well-crafted plot. It’s well worth a watch, especially for fans of two of Boston’s (remember it’s actually Bahstin’s) finest Hollywood transplants!