Everyone loves a good Matt Damon/Ben Affleck team-up, which is part of why “The Rip” is the first must-see Netflix movie of 2026. But the movie had so much more going for it than two best friends who also happen to be two of the biggest stars in the world. Its action-packed crime drama might have been too dark for some, but the film maintained a consistent tone throughout and immersed us in the world of a tactical narcotics team and the drug dealers with whom they are engaged in a never-ending battle. So if you’re not quite ready to leave this world behind, you might consider Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Sabotage,” which is definitely adjacent to “The Rip” with its DEA agent cartel money story. Luckily, like Affleck and Damon’s film, Arnie’s action thriller is also streaming on Netflix.
Netflix has won the streaming war a long time ago, and its continued dominance in the market has brought both peaks (2025 The Creepy Limited Series ‘Adolescence’ Was One of the Best Netflix Originals Ever) and abject depression (Kevin Hart’s ‘Lift’ Tops Netflix Charts in 2024). Somehow, this dichotomy was encapsulated in “The Rip.” As exciting as it was to see Damon and Affleck together again in a movie that people could watch without shelling out exorbitant prices for movie tickets, it was also rather alarming to see these A-listers in a straight-to-streaming movie.
Still, “The Rip” is easily one of the best Netflix original films to debut on the service in a while, and if that leaves you craving more drug-busting police action, then “Sabotage” is waiting for you on the king of streamers.
It’s Arnie and his team against the cartel in Sabotage.
The best thing David Ayer ever did was write the incomparable 2001 crime thriller “Training Day.” Furthermore, his work has been mixed, with his 2008 Keanu Reeves-directed crime thriller “Street Kings” failing to maintain the feeling of authenticity that made “Training Day” an instant classic. However, 2012’s “End of Watch” was Ayer at his best, pairing Jake Gyllenhaal with Michael Peña for a thrilling ride through some of Los Angeles’ most dangerous neighborhoods. Two years later, the filmmaker made “Sabotage,” another crime thriller that once again failed to match Ayer’s best work. But it wasn’t as gruesome as critics made it out to be, and with “The Rip” putting us all in the mood for more cops-versus-cartel action, perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate this forgotten Ayer effort.
“Sabotage” was written by Ayer and Skip Woods, with the former’s direction. It starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as the leader of a Drug Enforcement Agency team who, much like the dirty Miami cops from “The Rip,” steal a lot of money from drug dealers. However, while “The Rip” maintains much of its tension by leaving it open to question whether the tactical narcotics team will, in fact, steal the money, “Sabotage” continues full steam ahead, with Arnie’s DEA team recovering $10 million from the cartel.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s team consists of James “Monster” Murray (Sam Worthington) and his wife Lizzy Murray (Mireille Enos), Joe “Grinder” Philips (Joe Manganiello), Julius “Sugar” Edmonds (Terrence Howard), Eddie “Neck” Jordan (Josh Holloway), Tom “Pyro” Roberts (Max Martini), Bryce “Tripod” McNeely (Kevin Vance) and “Smoke”. Jennings (Marc Schlegel). At the very least, “Sabotage” has a solid cast. But the story also makes for a good little hunter for “The Rip.”
Sabotage is an over-the-top B-movie action movie, but it’s also pretty fun
“The Rip” was a quality effort with excellent performances and plenty of twists and turns to keep us all engaged (and some abysmal second-screen scrolling, according to Matt Damon). Ben Affleck and Damon’s film was also commendable for trying to solve one of Netflix’s biggest problems. regarding how creators are paid for their work. “Sabotage” isn’t really one of those things, but it’s pretty amusing, as many more modern actors in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s B-movies tend to be.
“Sabotage” was released in March 2014 and became a box office bomb after grossing just $18.4 million in theaters on a budget of $35 million. A 21% Rotten Tomatoes nor is the score the best advertisement for David Ayer and Arnie’s collaboration. But there should be enough here to satisfy your post-“The Rip” needs, and maybe even convince you if you’re in the mood for some very straight-to-video action.
On the one hand, Schwarzenegger is really good in this movie, which sees him and his team raid a cartel safehouse and make off with $10 million. Soon, however, members of the DEA crew begin to be found dead, raising suspicion among the surviving members. Arnie delivers the goods in the film, with most of the critical opprobrium directed at Ayer for seemingly abandoning much of what made “Training Day” and “End of Watch” so memorable. If you’re expecting a fun, over-the-top cop-meets-cartel actioner, you should have a good time with this ridiculous movie, which is far more bombastic, violent and ultimately idiotic than “The Rip.” Again, expect as much and you may find that “sabotage” scratches the “Rip” itch.
