The Rip

Amounting to a side project for friends and frequent collaborators Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, The Rip is propelled by their adversarial chemistry.

Indeed, the performances bring gravitas alongside the narrative conventions of this formulaic crime thriller probing the morality of conflicted cops, with Affleck as the loose cannon and Damon concealing emotional scars.

However, this testosterone-fueled tale of suspicion, corruption, cloudy motives, and shifting loyalties from director Joe Carnahan (The A-Team) lacks sufficient character depth and thematic complexity to escalate the stakes as intended.

The film opens with a tragedy that splinters a tight-knit narcotics task force within the Miami police. Shortly afterward, Dumars (Damon) decides to act on an anonymous tip regarding a suburban stash house with suspected cartel ties.

Outspoken detective Byrne (Affleck) is skeptical, especially after the raid seizes millions of dollars in hidden cash. The team includes Baptiste (Teyana Taylor), Ro (Steven Yeun), and Salazar (Catalina Sandino Moreno).

“It would be so much easier if we just stole the money,” jokes Dumars, who doesn’t elicit many laughs considering his by-the-book mentality. Questions begin to swirl. Where did the tip come from? Why has nobody reported it to their superiors? Who might take the money and run?

The mission is complicated by ego, greed, and distrust, even among the closest of colleagues. Each of them must navigate hidden agendas and external threats as they’re tempted to go rogue — yet determined to clear their own names.

Without much oversight or institutional support, except for a DEA agent (Kyle Chandler), the line between who’s clean and who’s dirty isn’t so clear-cut. As the violence intensifies, the money becomes secondary to getting out alive.

Carnahan’s screenplay, apparently inspired by a true-life case, is well-versed in terminology and procedure, but it struggles to sustain intrigue and suspense as contrivances take hold and plot holes widen in the second half.

The veteran action filmmaker knows how to stage shootouts and confrontations with gritty efficiency and brutal intensity. The noir-accented visuals incorporate streetscapes shrouded in fog and the characters frequently cloaked in shadows.

The chaotic aftermath of the initial discovery yields some white-knuckle tension. Yet by the time of its big reveal, The Rip has already been torn apart.

Rated R, 112 minutes.