In the 2026 movie The Rip , the term “a rip” is slang for a big, high‑value heist — specifically, the robbery of a massive stash of cartel cash by corrupt cops. It’s not just any theft; it refers to the central plot point where a secret police operation turns into a deadly grab for $20 million in unmarked drug money.

What “a rip” means in the film

  • In police and criminal slang, a “rip” (or “to rip someone off”) means to steal a large amount of money or valuables, often in a violent or organized way.
  • In The Rip , the phrase directly describes the dirty‑cop crew’s plan to secretly steal the $20 million in cartel cash they discover in a stash house, rather than turning it in through official channels.
  • The movie’s title plays on this double meaning: it’s both the heist itself (“the rip”) and the idea that the crew is “ripping off” the cartel (and later, each other).

How the “rip” drives the plot

  • Miami-Dade police lieutenant Dane Dumars (Matt Damon) and his Tactical Narcotics Team follow a tip to a house in Hialeah and find $20 million in hidden cartel cash.
  • Dumars lies to the team about how much money there is and hides the discovery from higher command, making it look like he wants to keep the cash for himself.
  • This sets off a tense standoff: the team starts suspecting each other, outlaws and dirty cops outside begin hunting the money, and the situation spirals into a bloodbath.
  • The real “rip” is later revealed to have been orchestrated by DEA agent Matty Nix and cop Mike Ro, who murdered their captain and planned to steal the money themselves.

Why the title “The Rip”?

  • The title is a nod to old-school crime slang, positioning the movie as a gritty, morally gray cops‑and‑robbers thriller centered on one monstrous heist.
  • Thematically, “the rip” also reflects how trust, loyalty, and careers are “ripped apart” under pressure, greed, and betrayal among the officers.
  • Netflix marketing describes it as a story about a “huge $20 million rip” that turns a lawful police raid into a dangerous, unauthorized grab for cash.

Bottom line: In The Rip , “a rip” means a massive, illegal heist of cartel money by corrupt cops, and the whole movie is about the violent, paranoid fallout when that “rip” starts to go wrong.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.