Damon and Affleck’s The Rip draws on a Miami police episode

People reports that The Rip, starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, premiered Jan. 16 on Netflix and was inspired by an experience involving Miami‑Dade law enforcement.

The action thriller follows two Miami officers who discover millions of dollars in a deserted safehouse and begin to question whom they can trust as word of the seizure spreads. Writer‑director Joe Carnahan told Tudum the story grew out of a friend’s experience as head of tactical narcotics for the Miami‑Dade police department, and Affleck said on Today the film is loosely based on one Miami officer and an episode in which officers were called to a house that reportedly contained $20 million and had to count cash on the premises. Carnahan has also said a painful personal breakup and classic ’70s cop thrillers influenced the script.

Damon and Affleck do not portray specific real officers; the actors traveled to Miami, rode along with the kind of officers depicted and said many of those people appear in small supporting roles, according to their Today interview. Carnahan told Tudum the title refers to slang for "taking the bad guy's stuff" in the event of a seizure, and The Rip is available to stream on Netflix.

Key Topics

Culture, The Rip, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Joe Carnahan, Miami-dade Police