Matt Damon Thriller Becomes Netflix’s Biggest Movie of 2026

Matt Damon is having a big year. The veteran leading man recently took on the iconic literary role of Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and he will soon reunite with longtime collaborator Ben Affleck for the upcoming Netflix crime thriller Animals, which Affleck is directing.

While those projects have generated plenty of headlines, one of Damon’s biggest successes of 2026 has come from an under-the-radar thriller. One of his recent Netflix films has officially become the most-watched movie of the year so far, according to Nielsen, attracting an even larger audience at home than many of this year’s theatrical blockbusters.

The Rip is Netflix’s biggest movie of 2026 so far

Damon and Affleck’s latest collaboration, The Rip, has topped Nielsen’s list of the most-streamed movies released in 2026 so far. According to the ratings firm, the crime thriller amassed an incredible 4.432 billion minutes watched, comfortably ahead of fellow Netflix original War Machine, which finished second with 3.531 billion minutes of viewing.

Ryan Coogler’s acclaimed vampire thriller Sinners, Jurassic World Rebirth, and Sony’s Anaconda reboot all made Nielsen’s list of the year’s biggest streaming movies through June, but none came close to matching The Rip. The film may not have generated the same level of online buzz as some of the year’s biggest blockbusters, but Nielsen’s data suggests plenty of viewers were eager to see the iconic duo of Damon and Affleck on screen no matter what.

Directed by Joe Carnahan, The Rip follows a group of Miami police officers whose lives spiral out of control after they uncover millions of dollars hidden inside a stash house. What begins as a routine operation quickly descends into paranoia and betrayal as the officers begin to suspect someone within their own ranks cannot be trusted. An impressive supporting cast includes Steven Yeun, Kyle Chandler, Teyana Taylor, and Nestor Carbonell.

The next Damon-Affleck Netflix thriller is on its way

The Rip is just the latest chapter in one of Hollywood’s most enduring creative partnerships. After winning an Academy Award together for writing Good Will Hunting in 1998, Damon and Affleck have reunited on screen for films including Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, The Last Duel, Air, and now The Rip.

The good news is audiences will not have to wait long for the next one. Damon is set to star in Animals, an upcoming Netflix crime thriller directed by Affleck, who also co-stars alongside Gillian Anderson, Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun, Ray Fisher, and Adriana Paz. Plot details are still being kept largely under wraps, but if The Rip‘s massive streaming success is any indication, Netflix could have another Damon-Affleck hit on its hands.

Source: Polygon