‘The Rip’ Ending, Explained

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Spoilers for The Rip are below!

“The Rip” is a fast-paced new action thriller bringing together Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Directed and written by Joe Carnahan, known for action films like Narc, Smokin’ Aces, and Copshop, the Netflix movie features a star-studded cast. Joining Damon and Affleck are Teyana Taylor, Steven Yeun, Kyle Chandler, Scott Adkins, Nestor Carbonell, and Sasha Calle.

“The Rip” is a suspenseful thriller where a routine assignment quickly spirals into a dangerous situation, forcing a team of police officers to confront an unseen enemy and question everyone’s motives. With twenty million dollars at stake, the film keeps you guessing about who is honest and who is corrupt until the very last moment. While the movie ultimately reveals the truth, it leaves you wondering who orchestrated the entire scheme.

What Is ‘The Rip’ About?

The Captain’s Death Rattles Some Cages


Netflix

The movie The Rip begins with a shocking scene: the murder of Captain Jackie Velez (Lina Esco), who leads the police’s TNT (Tactical Narcotics Team). The aftermath focuses on her team as they’re investigated, and introduces the main characters. Damon plays Lieutenant Dane Dumars, who takes charge after Velez’s death, and Affleck plays Detective Sergeant JD Byrne, who had a romantic relationship with her. The team also includes Detectives Mike Ro (Yeun), Numa Baptiste (Taylor), and Lolo Salaz (Catalina Sardino Moreno).

As a film buff, I’m immediately hooked – the team is reeling from their captain’s death and desperate for answers, but they’re stuck because investigating would be a clear conflict of interest. Adding to the tension, there’s this persistent buzz about corrupt cops skimming money from crime scenes. It’s treated like a crazy rumor, though, even among people like DEA Agent Nix, their boss Major Valejo, and even JD’s own brother, an FBI agent. Then Dumars drops a lead, and you just know things are about to explode.

A Tip Puts TNT Into an Explosive Situation


Netflix

It’s late, and the TNT team wants to finish up for the night, but Dumars urges them to investigate a lead from Crime Stoppers about a potential cash seizure – police call this a “Rip,” meaning taking a criminal’s assets. As they prepare to leave, Dumars insists everyone drive separately, promising it will be a quick operation. However, he secretly tells each team member a different amount of money they can expect to find.

When they arrived, they met the homeowner, Desi, and convinced her to let them inside by pretending to look for drugs, though they were actually after money. The police dog quickly detected something hidden, and the team discovered buckets of cash concealed behind a wall. Their initial target amount quickly grew to an estimated $20 million or more. Dumars started to panic, collecting everyone’s phones to prevent news from leaking. His insistence on following proper counting procedures seemed strange to the others, even to his close friend, JD, played by Affleck.

Dumars hesitates to tell the Major about the unfolding situation, so Ro secretly uses a phone to contact him for help. Meanwhile, JD asks Matty for backup, suspecting Dumars is planning to steal the money. After a series of tense moments, someone calls the house to warn them that danger is approaching. Initially, the shooters are assumed to be the drug cartel trying to reclaim their money, but JD soon discovers this isn’t the case when he encounters a member of the actual group responsible.

Okay, so things just got seriously twisted. The cartel is claiming they didn’t kill Velez, and is now accusing one of her own team members! They’re basically writing off the lost money as a cost of doing business, which leaves my team scrambling to protect it from a lot of heavily armed people. The worst part? We’re starting to suspect someone within our ranks is the biggest danger. It looks like Dumars is plotting to steal the cash with Salaz and Baptiste, while Ro is desperately trying to get reinforcements. Just when everything is falling apart, a fire erupts, forcing us to grab the money and run. Luckily, Matty arrives just in time with an armored vehicle – hopefully, it’s our ticket to safety!

How Does ‘The Rip’ End?

Who Is Trying To Steal the $20 Million?


Netflix

As Ro, Dumars, JD, and Matty gather around the stolen money inside the armored truck, the thriller reaches its climax, and surprising truths are exposed. Dumars explains why he gave each team member a different sum – a smart move that helps him identify the traitor. This deception reveals that Ro wasn’t attempting to redeem himself after the Major, as the film initially suggested. Instead, Ro was secretly contacting Matty, confirming they’re both part of a corrupt group of law enforcement officers who rob criminals – a detail hinted at earlier in the story.

Who Killed Captain Velez?


Netflix

Ro blamed Velez, and the film showed Matty ultimately killing her because she was discovering their scheme and they needed to silence her. Before she died, Velez messaged Dumars with the location of the hidden money. Unable to directly investigate Velez’s murder, Dumars used the internal investigation, nicknamed ‘the Rip,’ to determine who on the team was corrupt. Even JD, played by Affleck, was unaware of Dumars’ true motives, as he genuinely suspected someone else, only learning the full story when the situation became critical.

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As the investigation unfolds, the situation quickly turns violent, with gunfire erupting and JD’s FBI brother arriving to assist. A thrilling chase leads to Dumars arresting Ro, and JD fatally shoots Matty after a car crash. In the end, the team is revealed to be honest officers, successfully delivering the money as evidence, and Desi receives a reward for her efforts. “The Rip” is packed with surprises and may be worth watching again, knowing how it all ends, as new details could come to light.

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2026-01-16 21:40