'The Rip' has released today, on January 16, 2026. Here's what we know about the background of the story of the action thriller, starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in the lead roles.
The Rip, the action thriller, is currently making headlines for its engaging storyline and strong performances. Directed by Joe Carnahan, the film has released today, on January 16, 2026, on the OTT giant platform, Netflix. Within hours of its release, netizens started praising the duo, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s chemistry. Apart from Matt and Ben, the action thriller also stars, Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle, and more. Now that The Rip is hogging the limelight, let’s find out whether it is based on a true story.
The story of The Rip revolves around a group of Miami cops who discover millions of dollars in an abandoned building. 'Dane Dumars' (played by Matt Damon) and Detective Sergeant 'J.D. Byrne' (played by Ben Affleck) are also part of this group. However, the unity and trust within the group went downhill when the outside forces came to know about the huge amount of money.
The action thriller, The Rip, starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in lead roles, is inspired by a real-life incident involving the film’s director and co-writer, Joe Carnahan. Speaking to Tudum, Joe himself confirmed that the film was developed from a personal experience of his friend, who went through a lot as a father and as the head of tactical narcotics for the Miami-Dade police department. In his words:
"The Rip came out of a deeply personal experience that my friend went through, both as a father and as head of tactical narcotics for the Miami-Dade police department."
In a January 2026 appearance on Today, Ben Affleck spoke about the same in a detailed way. He shared that the story of The Rip is loosely based on an officer in Miami and one particular event. Ben highlighted that there was a time in Miami when people reported about illegal money to the police, and if the latter caught hold of the cash, the informer used to get paid. He shared that the cops had to count the money on the premises where it was discovered. Ben was quoted as saying:
"It's loosely based on one officer in Miami and an event ... if you called in and reported illegal money stored somewhere, you could get a piece of it, if they captured it. So, of course, all of a sudden they started getting calls, and there was one time where they showed up at this house, and there was USD 20 million there. There's the fear of the people whose money it is might show up, so that was the basis for this."
While the story is loosely based on a real-life incident, many might be wondering if Matt Damon and Ben Affleck portrayed real people in The Rip. However, the answer is no. Although the duo didn’t portray any real people on-screen, they visited Miami to spend time with the officers. Speaking about the same on the show, Today, Damon shared how the research work was done. He was quoted as saying:
"We went down and met the people who do this work and rode along with them and spent some time there, and that was great. Joe, the director, had spent a lot of time with them. A lot of the language, the way the cops relate to each other, all that was already baked into the script. That research piece is always the fun stuff for us."
What are your thoughts on The Rip being based on a true story? Let us know.
Also Read: 'The Rip' X Reviews, Netizens Laud Matt Damon And Ben Affleck's Chemistry In Action Thriller