The Rip Fans Will Love Arnold Schwarzenegger's Gritty Action Thriller Streaming On Netflix
Everyone loves a good Matt Damon/Ben Affleck team-up, which is part of why "The Rip" was the first must-watch Netflix movie of 2026. But the film had more going for it than a pair of best friends who also happen to be two of the biggest stars in the world. Its gritty crime drama action might have been too unrelentingly grim 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 which they're engaged in a never-ending battle. So, if you're not quite ready to leave that world behind, perhaps you'd consider Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Sabotage," which is undoubtedly "The Rip"-adjacent with its DEA-agents-take-cartel money story. Thankfully, like Affleck and Damon's movie, Arnie's action thriller is also streaming on Netflix.
Netflix won the streaming wars long ago, and its continued dominance of the market has brought both highs (2025's chilling limited series "Adolescence" was one of the best Netflix originals ever) and abject lows (Kevin Hart's "Lift" topped the Netflix charts in 2024). Somehow, that dichotomy was encapsulated in "The Rip." As thrilling as it was to see Damon and Affleck back together in a movie that people could watch without shelling out extortionate movie theater ticket prices, it was also sort of alarming to witness these A-listers in a straight-up streaming movie.
Nevertheless, "The Rip" is easily one of the better Netflix original films to debut on the service in some time, and if it's got you in the mood for more narcotics cop action, then "Sabotage" is just waiting for you on the king of the streamers.
It's Arnie and his crew vs the cartel in Sabotage
The best thing David Ayer ever did was write the incomparable 2001 crime thriller "Training Day." His work otherwise has been a mixed bag, with his 2008 Keanu Reeves-led crime thriller "Street Kings" falling short of maintaining the sense of authenticity that made "Training Day" an instant classic. 2012's "End of Watch," however, was Ayer at his best, pairing Jake Gyllenhaal with Michael Peña for a thrilling ride-along through some of Los Angeles' most dangerous neighborhoods. Two years later, the filmmaker helmed "Sabotage," another gritty crime thriller that once again failed to match Ayer's best work. But it wasn't as horrible as critics made it out to be, and with "The Rip" putting us all in the mood for more cops-vs.-cartel action, it might be time to reassess this forgotten Ayer effort.
"Sabotage" was written by Ayer and Skip Woods, with the former directing. It starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as the head of a Drug Enforcement Agency team who, much like the dirty Miami cops of "The Rip," steal a bunch of money from drug dealers. However, whereas "The Rip" maintains much of its tension by leaving the question of whether the Tactical Narcotics Team will, in fact, nick the cash, "Sabotage" just goes full steam ahead, with Arnie's DEA squad straight up jacking $10 million from the cartel.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's team is made up 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 (Mark Schlegel). If nothing else, then, "Sabotage" boasts a solid cast. But the story also makes for a decent little chaser to "The Rip."
Sabotage is an over-the-top B-movie actioner, but it's also kind of fun
"The Rip" was a quality effort with some great performances and plenty of twists to keep us all engaged (and from second-screen doom scrolling, according to Matt Damon). Ben Affleck and Damon's movie was also commendable for trying to solve one of Netflix's biggest issues concerning how creators get paid for their work. "Sabotage" isn't really any of those things, but it is sort of fun in the way so many of Arnold Schwarzenegger's more modern, B-movie actioners tend to be.
"Sabotage" was released in March 2014 and became a box office bomb after it made just $18.4 million in theaters on a $35 million budget. A 21% Rotten Tomatoes score also isn't 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 win you over if you're in the mood for some very direct-to-video-esque action.
For one thing, Schwarzenegger is actually good in this movie, which sees him and his team raiding a cartel-owned safe house and making off with $10 million. Soon, however, members of the DEA crew start turning up dead, prompting suspicion among the surviving members. Arnie delivers the goods in the film, with most of the critical opprobrium being aimed at Ayer for seemingly abandoning much of what made "Training Day" and "End of Watch" so memorable. If you go in expecting a fun, over-the-top, tough-cops-vs.-cartel actioner, however, you should have a fine time with this ridiculous movie, which is far more bombastic, violent, and ultimately silly than "The Rip." Again, expect as much and you might just find that "Sabotage" scratches that "Rip" itch.