‘The Instigators’ Reviews: “Affleck and Damon are very much in their comfort zone”

           On August 2, 2024, with a streaming release on August 9, 2024, Apple TV+ released ‘The Instigators’, which is currently holding at 44% on Rotten Tomatoes after a mixed reception from critics. In the film, a reluctant pairing of a father and an ex-con are tasked with robbing a politician of ill-gained earnings. When their mission is less than successful, the duo is pursued by bureaucrats, the police, and the mob all while the duo has the father’s therapist along for the ride. The ensemble cast includes Casey Affleck, Matt Damon, Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, Hong Chau, Michael Stuhlbarg, Paul Walter Hauser, Jack Harlow, and Ron Pearlman. But what did the critics say?

Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture says, “Heist pictures in Hollywood are a dime a dozen, but with so much talent involved, "The Instigators" should have at least instigated a more memorable and amusing experience.” Adding, “Luckily, Hong Chau is the film’s saving grace as her hapless therapist gets caught between Rory and Cobby, resulting in the film’s best spouts of humor, even though the setup of a therapist still trying to guide her patient through car chases and gunfire is beyond ridiculous. Chau makes the most of it and has better chemistry with Damon and Affleck than they do with each other. All other supporting players show up and do their thing but never make much of an impression, with some underutilized to the point that you may be left questioning what they were even doing here to begin with (hello, Alfred Molina!).”

Abe Friedtanzer of Awards Buzz writes, “Suspension of disbelief is key, but this film’s pace is solid and inviting enough to keep audiences distracted for the length of its hijinks.” Concluding, “The Instigators is perfectly good fun. It doesn’t let up once it gets going, continuing to follow its characters down their increasingly convoluted rabbit holes. Liman knows how to guide action pieces and does so serviceably here, guiding a film that probably is best suited for a home viewing watch on Apple TV+. It also makes for a decent theatrical experience, putting to good use a snappy script from Affleck and Chuck MacLean. Suspension of disbelief is key, but this film’s pace is solid and inviting enough to keep audiences distracted for the length of its hijinks.”

Image Courtesy of Apple TV+

    Ross McIndoe of Slant Magazine praises the film, stating, “Like a well-executed heist, the film knows how to get in and get out with minimal fuss.” Continuing, “While their characters might be out-of-their-depth amateurs, Affleck and Damon are very much in their comfort zone. They have an affably antagonistic chemistry that can be traced back to their Good Will Hunting days, and their stints in the Ocean’s series means that they know just the right tone to hit for this sort of easy-going crime comedy. Because, for all the Boston-ese bantering, this isn’t Ben Affleck’s The Town. Cobby and Rory are thoroughly undangerous figures who bumble their way through the film without ever firing a gun or meaning anyone harm. Even during high-speed chases and armed stand-offs, The Instigators never really tries to conjure any serious sense of menace. It’s here for hijinks, not headshots.”

Edward Douglas of The Weekend Warrior notes, “Being so derivative and just not very funny doesn’t do much to keep the viewer invested in anything happening on screen.” Adding, “On the one hand, this movie has that impressive cast, but it also feels like so many other heist movies we’ve seen over the years, and even the distinctly Boston setting doesn’t do much to help that fact. (It just makes it feel like a very light version of The Town.) Much of the film relies on Affleck’s gift of gab, in that he rarely shuts up, compared to Damon’s character, who really doesn’t say very much. In many ways, that’s much better for his character.”