Mayor Bryan Calvo Challenges Netflix’s Portrayal of Hialeah in ‘The Rip’

Netflix’s 2026 movie The Rip has become a global sensation, but for Hialeah’s newly elected Mayor Bryan Calvo, the film’s success feels more like a personal attack on his community. The movie, which dramatizes the 2016 record-breaking $24 million cash seizure by Miami-Dade Police, has put the city of Hialeah at the center of a heated real-world debate over representation, stereotypes, and local pride.

Just weeks into his term as the youngest mayor in Hialeah’s history, the 28-year-old Calvo held a press conference flanked by police officers to denounce the film. His primary grievance? The movie depicts Hialeah as a hub of corruption and crime, featuring fictional Hialeah officers who are “crooked”—a portrayal Calvo says is far from the truth.

“This movie is a slap in the face to our law enforcement personnel,” Calvo stated, pointing to the Hialeah Police patch during a CBS Miami press conference. “When they say that all Hialeah Police officers are corrupt, that is a massive disrespect to the city. As mayor, I absolutely have to stand up and protect our image.”

Calvo cited crime statistics to back his defense, noting that Hialeah ranks as the second safest major city in Florida and falls within the top 15% of the safest major cities in the U.S.

A major point of contention for the Mayor is the film’s “lazy” research regarding the actual 2016 bust. While the real-life raid on Luis Hernandez-Gonzalez’s home took place in Miami Lakes, the filmmakers chose to set their fictionalized version in Hialeah.

“We understand this production could have been filmed in Miami Lakes… but they chose Hialeah because our city is iconic,” Calvo shared on Instagram. “However, that choice comes with responsibility. Hialeah is not a stereotype.”

Adding to the frustration is the fact that the film wasn’t even shot in South Florida. Production took place in New Jersey and Los Angeles, leading to scenes where the trees and architecture clearly don’t match the “City of Progress.”

Mayor Calvo hasn’t ruled out legal action, suggesting the city’s attorneys might explore options regarding the unauthorized use of the city’s name and seal, as well as potential defamation. He has publicly invited Matt Damon and Ben Affleck to actually visit Hialeah to see the “real” city—one defined by hardworking families rather than Hollywood tropes.

However, the local response to the Mayor’s crusade has been mixed. While some applaud his defense of Hialeah’s brand, others think the reaction is overkill:

“Actually, I got to side with the mayor… they just assumed [Hialeah and Miami Lakes] are one and the same,” said one Instagram commenter. “They didn’t do good research.””Bruh, it’s just a movie. Calm down,” said another commenter. “You just took [a] seat.”

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