It's been a little bit since Walking Dead legend Steven Yeun absolutely stole the show in a TV series or movie, but that's exactly what the former Glenn Rhee actor did in Netflix's biggest movie of the year, The Rip.
Written and directed by Joe Carnahan, The Rip was inspired by the story of Miami-Dade Sheriff Chris Casiano. The film premiered on Netflix on Jan. 16, 2026, and it's been the most popular Netflix movie of the month and will be for a long time.
Yeun stars alongside Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in the hit Netflix film about the Tactical Narcotics Team for the Miami-Dade Police Department. Yeun plays Detective Mike Ro, who works under Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Damon) and Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne (Affleck). On their latest mission, the small team gets in over their head when a seemingly normal bust turns out to be a multi-million dollar operation. When the team begins feuding about what they should do with the money, things take a rough turn.
Teyana Taylor, Kyle Chandler, Sasha Calle, and Catalina Sandino Moreno also star in the movie, alongside Yeun, Damon, and Affleck.
Steven Yeun delivers an excellent performance in Netflix's The Rip
With such an epic cast, one would imagine that it would be a challenge to stand out, but that's no problem for Yeun, who absolutely steals the show.
I'm not going to get into spoilers for obvious reasons, but Yeun excels in this role. His character, like many of the other characters, have their morality called into question when they find so much more money on the bust than expected. Each character is pushed to decide just what they're willing to do and how much they're willing to let slide to walk away with a bigger payday.
Looking at the full cast, Yeun's role is a little bit more limited that Affleck and Damon, but Yeun goes toe-to-toe with the greats and runs in an excellent performance.
We've been following Yeun for years on The Walking Dead and since in shows and movies like Beef, Minari, Mickey 17, and more, and we know exactly what he's capable of in terms of performance. He's as good as he's ever been in The Rip, in my opinion.
We're only one month into the new year, so the title "biggest Netflix movie of the year" rings rather hollow right now. But, please don't let the lack of competition dissuade you from watching The Rip. It's definitely going to be one of the 10 most popular Netflix movies of all time after another week or two on the platform. It's a *Boston accent* wickedly entertaining thrill ride with a few epic twists and turns along the way.
Yeun is one of the most beloved stars of The Walking Dead, so it's no surprise that our team at Undead Walking is recommending The Rip. But, it's not just us that are recommending the movie! More fans are tuning in for this Netflix movie every day.
In the first two weeks on Netflix, The Rip has racked up more than 81 million views. Netflix revealed that's the biggest opening for a movie since Happy Gilmore 2 premiered in the summer of 2025. It's also only 50 million views from securing a spot on the all-time Netflix Top 10 movies list. Basically, that's just a list of the 10 most popular Netflix movies of all time. I'll be very surprised if The Rip doesn't top that by mid-February.
On top of that, The Rip boasts a great Rotten Tomatoes score, especially for a Netflix movie. Look, it's no secret that Netflix has turned in some real duds when it comes to its action/crime movies. According to Rotten Tomatoes, The Rip's 84% critical approval rating, also known as the Tomatometer, is certified fresh.
So, if you're a big fan of Yeun, like I know many Walking Dead fans are, then The Rip is definitely a must-watch. It's not the perfect movie, but it's entertaining from start to finish, and it features some fantastic performances, especially Yeun's.
Watch The Rip on Netflix now.