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‘THE RIP’ RATED R on NETFLIX
A solid action thriller with a strong cast is a great recipe for the Netflix film “The Rip” that rests in the capable direction of Joe Carnahan whose resume includes films like “Narc,” “Smokin’ Aces” and “Copshop.”
The title refers to police jargon for the seizure of cash, drugs and contraband from criminals. As the film opens, an elite Miami Police task force loses one of its members, Jackie Velez (Lina Esco), to an ambush from masked gunmen.
Setting the pace for a violent evening for a “rip” of a stash house is the notion that Jackie’s murder may have been the result of corruption inside the ranks, and unknown parties wanted her sidelined. After all, Captain Jackie was leading the elite unit hunting down drug cartels.
Stepping into breach for the task force is Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Matt Damon), assisted by his colleague and friend Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne (Ben Affleck), a hothead turning more erratic even before the raid begins.
Miami P.D. has identified a suburban home on a cul-de-sac in neighboring Hialeah as the target. Dane and J.D. are joined by Miami detectives Mike Ro (Steven Yeun), Numa Baptiste (Teyana Taylor), and Lolo Salazar (Catalina Sandino Moreno) for the bust.
Before they even leave the police station, the belligerent J.D. gets into fisticuffs with FBI Agent Del Byrne (Scott Adkins), who just happens to be his brother. Territorial boundaries are apparently more important than family ties.
The Feds intervene in the investigation into Jackie’s murder, but they are more interested in possible corruption in the force confiscating illicit cash for themselves. Dane gets agitated with his superior officer (Nestor Campbell) holding back their task force.
Dane and his crew operate without regard to rules, showing up at the house where the only occupant is a young woman named Desi (Sasha Calle), who seemingly has no clue as to why they want to search her deceased grandmother’s house.
A stash of $20 million is found behind a fake wall in the attic, and that’s when things get interesting. Rumors have been floating around that corrupt cops keep the loot for themselves.
Now suspicion falls on everyone, and red herrings pop up as expected. Which cops might be dirty? Who’s working with clean hands and wants to be sure the money gets back to the evidence locker?
When a pair of Hialeah police officers show up, what’s their angle? An anonymous caller warns the police to get out of the house. The team members even start questioning their colleagues. The action blasts off full throttle when criminals assault the stash house with machine guns.
“The Rip” may not quite be on the same level as Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” with Matt Damon or “The Town” with Ben Affleck, but like these two crime thrillers a big screen release would have been optimal. Nevertheless, the bigger the TV at home, the more enjoyable for this riveting action thriller.
‘STEAL’ ON AMAZON PRIME
A crime thriller about a British pension fund being robbed of billions, the six-episode “Steal” set in London is certainly bingeable entertainment on Amazon Prime, which suggests it could just as well be trimmed down to a two-hour heist movie.
Remarkably talented, Sophie Turner (“Game of Thrones”) is one of the key players as a trade processor at Lochmill Capital, an investment firm managing portfolios for retirement funds. Her Zara Dunne toils in a midlevel job.
Zara works closely with friend and colleague Luke (Archie Madekwe) at the trading desk. All hell breaks loose when a gang of thieves in prosthetic disguises storms the office, locking management in a meeting room and separating the rest of the staff into a conference room.
To make the point that they mean business, a couple of employees are brutally beaten to a bloody pulp for talking out of turn. The leader, London (Jonathan Slinger), forces Zara and Luke at gunpoint to drain the pension funds of four billion in British pounds.
It’s not too soon in the first episode to wonder if there is an inside man or woman involved with the heist. The police arrive on the scene not long after the thieves scrammed to their hideout.
What makes the heist particularly distasteful is that the pension funds being purloined belong to working stiffs who can ill-afford losing their retirements. Moreover, the thugs are just horribly malevolent.
Leading the police investigation is sharp-minded DCI Rhys Kovac (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd), who happens to be hiding his own secret of a gambling addiction and owing a large sum to ruthless loan sharks.
Other players are drawn into the plot, including corrupt billionaire Sir Toby Gould (Peter Mullan), and for some inexplicable reason spooks from the MI5 espionage agency. The aptly named Sniper (Andrew Howard) may be the most unhinged member of the heist crew.
“Steal” delights with plenty of twists and a few surprises. The survival instincts of Zara make her the pivotal player that ensures the series remains interesting to the end.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.