Movie Reviews

The Rip is Old-School Cop Drama Fun | Review

Published

1 month ago

January 21, 2026

The Rip is Old-School Cop Drama Fun | Review

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s latest team-up brings cop drama, plenty of mystery, and oodles of tension in a sharp, engaging thriller for Netflix.

The Rip
Directed By: Joe Carnahan
Written By: Joe Carnahan
Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Kyle Chandler, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Sasha Calle
Release Date: January 16, 2026 on Netflix

When a Miami-Dade police Captain Jackie Velez (Lina Esco) is murdered, the specialized unit she was over (the Tactical Narcotics Team) comes under heavy suspicion. As leads seem to go nowhere, the federal agents and internal affairs officers investigating the homicide fear a history of corrupt cops throughout the department is a factor.

Considering the team is made up of only a handful of officers, obviously tensions are incredibly high. Not only are they still reeling from the death of their Captain—a friend—they’ve got pressure from the FBI, along with concerns about their task force being disbanded. Everyone is certainly on edge.

TNT consists of a five main detectives. There’s Lieutenant Dane (Matt Damon), who’s been recently promoted to the role despite having reservations about still being a cop. Sergeant JD Byrne (Ben Affleck) is Dane’s close friend who lost out on the LT spot and had a personal relationship with Captain Velez. Then there’s Ro (Steven Yeun), Numa (Teyana Taylor), and Lolo (Catalina Sandino Moreno) who are eager to do their jobs but also weary at all the suspicion and seeming lack of recognition for their efforts.

When they set out on a bust, the team inadvertently stumbles into something major. Something that may have been the reason Captain Velez was killed; several millions of dollars of Cartel money. The bust (or “Rip”) becomes anything but ordinary, as they find themselves essentially boxed in at a culdesac, with an unknown caller threatening to slaughter them all if they don’t leave within thirty minutes.

With no backup coming, the officers find themselves questioning their loyalty to one another. Is the Cartel really attacking them, or has one of their own gone rogue and looking to steal the money they’ve found? Considering a mystery sits at the heart of the story and drives the characters’ actions, I’ll keep the story details at that. Definitely more fun to go into this one fresh.

THE RIP. (L to R) Teyana Taylor as Detective Numa Baptiste, Catalina Sandino Moreno as Detective Lolo Salazar, Steven Yeun as Detective Mike Ro, Kyle Chandler as DEA Agent Mateo ‘Matty’ Nix and Ben Affleck as Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne in The Rip. Cr. Claire Folger/Netflix © 2025.

By and large, The Rip feels like an old-school crime drama which is both good and bad. Bad in that it relies on some typical cliches for certain bits (though I greatly enjoyed how the main mystery aspect is treated) and it’s action pieces don’t do anything new/groundbreaking. The good, however, is that it’s a pretty top-tier example of this kind of genre fare. Sure, it’s not breaking the mold, but what it gives you is a great time that gets the blood-pumping.

The film brings together an interesting blend of genres. There’s definitely the cop drama element, with corruption and greed at the forefront, along with a little bit of a heist movie tossed in as well. You’ve got the action set pieces, but there’s also a bit of noir over the whole thing. There are numerous twists and turns (which I’m not spoiling), with many of the characters have their own motives you’re never quite sure of. The combination of it all makes for a thrilling movie that keeps you on your toes and is never boring.

It’s made all the more fun to watch thanks to the characters in play. Damon and Affleck’s iconic chemistry is in full force here; completely selling you on the idea of buddy cops who may—or may not—be at odds. While they take the main focus, the rest of the characters manage to be equally engaging.

Within a few short minutes, you absolutely believe the Tactical Narcotics Team have a long history with one another. You can sense the familial nature that comes from a small group working together for years and years…Plus I just love Teyana Taylor and everything she does.

THE RIP. Teyana Taylor as Detective Numa Baptiste in The Rip. Cr. Claire Folger/Netflix © 2025.

What I enjoyed most about The Rip is how well it handles the mystery aspect of the story. This push and pull between trust and betrayal is the primary driver in the story. This small, usually close-knit team are forced into a close quarters situation with time running against them. This dynamic allows for some tense interactions as it becomes clear their trust in one another is being put to the ultimate test.

The way the story unfolds does a fantastic job of keeping the twists and turns underwraps. Like I said, it uses familiar tropes, but it’s also aware enough to know when to use them to their advantage. So even when I thought I had things figured out—because of how certain cliches would normally pan out—it managed to genuinely surprise me.

THE RIP. (L to R) Catalina Sandino Moreno as Detective ‘Lolo’ Salazar and Teyana Taylor as Detective Numa Baptiste in The Rip. Cr. Claire Folger/Netflix © 2025.

Perhaps more importantly, it handles those reveals/twists without feeling cheap, or like a far-fetched deus ex machina. Once the cards are laid out on the table, a lot of previous sequences and character beats click into place. It’s easy to see how things were able to work out, without straining credulity or making you feel dumb for missing something. In this way, it’s smartly written, making use of the familiar to throw you for a loop.

Movie Reviews

Maxime Giroux – ‘In Cold Light’ movie review

Published

8 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Maxime Giroux – ‘In Cold Light’ movie review

(Credits: Far Out / Elevation Pictures)

Wed 4 March 2026 9:30, UK

Maxime Giroux – ‘In Cold Light’

The action is relentless in the complex thriller In Cold Light, a tense combination of crime and fugitive tale and family drama. It is the third feature and first English language film by Maxime Giroux, best known for a very different kind of film, the critically acclaimed 2014 drama Felix & Meira.

The tension and high energy of In Cold Light almost overwhelm the film, but are relieved, barely, by moments of character development and introspection that keep the audience pulling for the restrained and outwardly cold main character.

Speaking at the film’s Canadian premiere, director Giroux admitted he found creating an action film a challenge. Part of his approach was using very minimal dialogue, especially for the central character, letting the action speak for itself, and allowing silence to intensify suspense. Giroux has said he likes the lack of dialogue and speaks highly of the importance of silence in cinema; he prefers using “physical aspects of communication” in his films.

Young Ava Bly (Maika Monroe) is a competent and businesslike drug dealer, working in partnership with her brother Tom (Jesse Irving) and a small team. As the film begins, Ava has just been released from a brief prison sentence. She is hoping to return to her former position, but her brother’s associates consider her a risk due to her recent incarceration. While she works to re-establish herself, a shocking encounter with a corrupt police officer sends Ava’s life into chaos and forces her to go on the run.

Ava’s fugitive experience introduces a new character, to whom Ava turns for help: her father, Will Bly, played by Troy Kotsur, known for his excellent performance in CODA. Their first interaction is handled in a fascinating way, as Will is deaf and the two communicate through sign language. This, of course, provides another form of the silent interaction the director prefers; he explained that much of the father-daughter interaction was rewritten with the actor in mind. Their conflict is nicely expressed through a scene in which their initial conversation is intermittently cut off by a faulty light which goes out periodically, making communication through sign momentarily impossible, nicely expressing the rift between father and daughter.

As Ava continues to evade danger, her escape becomes complicated by new information, placing her in a painful dilemma. We gradually learn more about Ava, her background, and her character through occasional flashbacks and glimpses of her dreams. The plot becomes more complex and more poignant, and gains features of a mystery as well as an action tale, as she is pressed to choose from among equally unacceptable alternatives.

The climax of her efforts to protect both herself and those close to her comes to a head as she meets with the director of a rival drug gang. Veteran actress Helen Hunt is perfect in the minor but significant role of Claire, the rival drug lord, who plays odd mind games with Ava in an intriguing psychological fencing match. It’s an unusual scene, in which Ava’s personality is made clearer, and Claire’s understated dominance and casual speech do not quite conceal the threat she represents.

The frantic pace and emotional turmoil are enhanced by the camera work, which tends to focus tightly on Ava, and by a harsh, minimal musical score that sets the tone without distracting from the action. Giroux chose to shoot the film in Super 60; he describes digital as “too perfect” for the look he was going for, and since “Ava is rough,” the film portrays her better. The director describes the entire movie as “rough,” in fact, and deliberately chose a dark, washed-out look for much of the footage, occasionally using light and colour, in the form of fireworks, lightning, or a colourful carnival, to both relieve and emphasise the darkness.

The dynamic, intense story holds the attention in spite of the lengthy, sometimes repetitive chase scenes and subdued dialogue. Ava’s predicament, and the difficult decisions she is forced to make, are made surprisingly relatable, from the initial disaster that starts the action to the surprising flash-forward that concludes the film, on as high a note as the situation could allow. Fans of action movies will definitely enjoy this one.

Movie Reviews

Jeremy Schuetze’s ‘ANACORETA’ (2022) – Movie Review – PopHorror

Published

20 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Jeremy Schuetze’s ‘ANACORETA’ (2022) – Movie Review – PopHorror

PopHorror had the chance to check out Anacoreta (2022) ahead of its streaming release! Does this meta-horror flick provide interesting story telling or is it a confusing mess.

Let’s have a look…

Synopsis

A group of friends heads to a secluded woodland cabin for a weekend getaway, planning to film an experimental horror movie. As the shoot progresses, the project begins to fall apart—until a real and terrifying presence emerges from the darkness.

Anacoreta is directed by Jeremy Schuetze. It was written by Jeremy Schuetze and Matt Visser. The film stars Antonia Thomas (Bagman 2024), Jesse Stanley (Raf 2019), Jeremy Schuetze (Jennifer’s Body 2009), and Matt Visser (A Lot Like Christmas 2021)

My Thoughts

Antonia Thomas delivered an outstanding performance as the female lead in Anacoreta. It was remarkable to watch her convey such a wide range of emotions with authenticity and depth. I was continually impressed by her ability to switch seamlessly between different dialects. I absolutely loved her delivery of the dialogue of telling The Scorpion and the Frog fable.

Anacoreta employs a distinctive, meta-horror style of storytelling. The narrative follows a group of friends creating a “scripted reality” horror film, and as the plot unfolds, the boundary between their staged production and their actual lives becomes increasingly blurred. This was interesting, but at the same time frustrating as a viewer.

Check out Anacoreta on Prime Video and let us know your thoughts!

Movie Reviews

‘Hoppers’ review: Pixar’s best original movie in years

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

‘Hoppers’ review: Pixar’s best original movie in years

“So it’s like Avatar?” one character quips in Disney and Pixar’s “Hoppers,” bluntly translating the film’s high-concept premise for the sugar-fueled kids in the audience. And yes, the comparison is apt. The story follows a nature-obsessed teenage girl who manages to quite literally “hop” her consciousness into the body of a robotic beaver in order to spark an animal rebellion against a greedy mayor determined to bulldoze their forest for a freeway.

It’s a clever hook. The kind of big, elastic idea Pixar used to make look effortless. “Hoppers” does not reach the rarified air of “Up,” “Wall-E,” or “Inside Out,” but after a stretch of uneven originals like “Turning Red” and “Luca,” and outright misfires such as “Elemental” and “Elio,” this feels like a genuine course correction. The environmental messaging is clear without being preachy, the animals are irresistibly anthropomorphized, and the studio’s once-signature emotional sincerity is back in sturdy form.

Pixar can afford to gamble on originals when it has a guaranteed cash cow like this summer’s “Toy Story 5” waiting in the wings, but “Hoppers” earns its place in the catalogue. Director Daniel Chong crafts a warm, heartfelt film that occasionally strains under the weight of its own ambition, yet remains grounded by character and theme. Its meditation on conservation and animal displacement feels timely in a way that never tips into after-school-special territory.

We meet Mabel, voiced with bright conviction by Piper Curda, as a child liberating her classroom pets and returning them to the wild. Her moral compass is shaped by her grandmother, voiced by Karen Huie, who imparts wisdom about nature’s sanctity. True to both Pixar tradition and the broader Disney playbook, this beacon of guidance does not survive past the opening act. Loss, after all, is Pixar’s favorite inciting incident.

Years later, Mabel is still fighting the good fight, squaring off against the smarmy Mayor Jerry, voiced with slick menace by Jon Hamm. He plans to flatten the glade where Mabel and her grandmother once found solace. Mabel’s resistance feels noble but futile. The animals have already mysteriously vanished, the machinery is coming, and her last-ditch plan involves luring a beaver back to the abandoned forest in hopes of jumpstarting the ecosystem.

That’s when the film gleefully pivots into mad-scientist territory. At Beaverton University, Mabel discovers her professor, voiced by Kathy Najimy, has developed a device that can project human consciousness into synthetic animals. The process, dubbed “hopping,” allows Mabel to inhabit a robotic beaver and infiltrate the forest from within. It’s an inspired escalation that keeps the film buoyant even when the plotting grows predictable.

Her new posse includes King George, a lovably beaver voiced by Bobby Moynihan with distinct Bing Bong energy; a sharp-tongued bear voiced by Melissa Villaseñor; a regal bird king voiced by the late Isiah Whitlock Jr.; and a fish queen voiced by Ego Nwodim. As is often the case with Pixar, even in its lesser efforts, the world-building is meticulous. The animal hierarchy, complete with titles like “paw of the king,” is layered with jokes that play for kids while slyly winking at adults.

The plot ultimately follows a familiar template. Scrappy underdog rallies community. Corporate villain twirls metaphorical mustache. Emotional third-act sacrifice looms. At times, you can feel the machinery working a little too cleanly. Pixar, and Disney at large, has grown increasingly reliant on sequels and established IP, and “Hoppers” does not radically reinvent the wheel. In an animated landscape where films like “K-Pop: Demon Hunters,” “Across the Spider-Verse,” and “Goat” are pushing stylistic and narrative boundaries, being safe and sturdy may not always be enough.

And yet, there is something refreshing about a Pixar original that remembers how to tug at the heart without squeezing it dry. “Hoppers” is playful, peppered with cheeky needle drops, and builds to a sweet emotional catharsis that may or may not have left this critic a little misty-eyed. It feels earnest and engaged.

“Hoppers” may not be top-tier Pixar. But it is a welcome return to form, a reminder that the studio still knows how to marry big ideas with a bigger heart.

HOPPERS opens in theaters Friday, March 6th.