At a Glance
- Matt Damon and Ben Affleck star as Miami cops who uncover millions in a safehouse.
- The real cash was never stolen; the mole ran off with phone books.
- Detective Mike Ro is unmasked as the traitor working with a corrupt DEA agent.
- Why it matters: The twist-filled ending redefines who the “good guys” really are.
Netflix’s action-thriller The Rip drops Matt Damon and Ben Affleck into a single-night standoff inside a Miami stash house where loyalty is currency and everyone’s balance is questionable. After a tip sends the Tactical Narcotics Team to a quiet home, the officers find millions in cash tucked in the attic. What begins as a count-the-money detail spirals into a hunt for a mole and justice for a murdered captain.
How the Night Unravels
LT (Damon) and Byrne (Affleck) bring Officers Numa Baptiste and Lolo Salazar onto the scene. While they stack and scan bills, stories about the tip change, alliances shift, and trust evaporates. Outside forces close in; inside, paranoia rises.
> “You don’t know who’s good, who’s bad, who’s corrupt,” Damon told Tudum. “The tension just keeps getting ratcheted up.”
The Mole Reveal
**Detective Mike Ro, played by Steven Yeun, is the team member feeding intel to DEA Agent Matty Nix (Kyle Chandler). Ro’s goal: grab the cash during the chaos. His method: leak conflicting amounts to different officers, then watch who reacts.
LT suspects Ro after noticing the numeric discrepancies and a phone call that repeats one of the false totals. To test his theory, he stages a fake garage conversation with Numa and Lolo, knowing Desi-a civilian found in the house-will pass the info to Ro. Ro takes the bait, tries to turn the team against each other, and even sets the house on fire as a diversion.
The Money Switch
While Ro and Nix believe they’ve hijacked an armored truck stuffed with cash, they actually sprint away with duffel bags of old phone books that once belonged to Desi’s grandmother. The real money never leaves police custody; Numa and Lolo drive it straight to headquarters after the double-crossers flee.
By the time the sun rises:
- The cash is counted to the dollar.
- Desi receives an approved cut for her cooperation.
- LT and Byrne survive to watch a beach sunrise.
- A little girl named Jackie splashes in the surf, echoing the slain captain’s mantra: “Live to see another sunrise.”
Who Killed Captain Jackie Velez
The film opens with Captain Jackie Velez (Lina Esco) gunned down in her car after taking a phone call. Her final act: text Byrne the tip that sends the team to the money house. The shooters, later unmasked, are Ro and Nix in black masks. The staged scene initially points to cartel violence until inconsistencies surface and fingers turn inward.
> “They think she was murdered by a cop,” writer-director Joe Carnahan told Tudum. “Was it a cop on her own team? Was it someone else?”
Jackie’s last call was with Desi, hinting at a deeper connection yet to be explored.
Final Confrontations
- LT arrests Ro after a garage showdown.
- Byrne shoots Nix during a roadside shouting match.
- Numa and Lolo deliver the legitimate evidence, proving their loyalty.
Epilogue
As the partners leave the scene, LT shows Desi the tattoos on his hands-tributes to his son who died of cancer. The boy’s last question haunts him: “Are we the good guys?” LT’s answer then and now: “We are and always will be.”
Key Takeaways
- The mole was never after the money; he was after the story he could sell.
- The money was never in jeopardy; protocol and trust were.
- Matt Damon and Ben Affleck walk away alive, but the cost-a captain’s life-lingers like the Miami heat.
