Matt Damon’s Apple TV+ Comedy Is At Its Best When It’s Not Action-Focused

There are plenty of movies about grand-scale robberies and complicated heists, often carried out in grand fashion, and while the characters in The Instigators are clearly hoping to be part of a similar story, this is not that kind of film. Instead, the latest from Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Road House) tells the story of depressed former Marine Rory (Matt Damon) and drunken ex-con Cobby (Casey Affleck) as they’re roped into a poorly planned robbery of Boston’s mayor on election night. However, everything that could go wrong does, and the two are forced to go on the run.

What follows is a decently entertaining movie with a story that is as messy as it should be when following two first-time robbers. The script, written by Affleck and Chuck Maclean (City on a Hill), is clearly a labor of love, and it’s much more compelling than it has any right to be. The Instigators is bolstered by a very strong supporting cast, even as it primarily remains a two-hander between Damon and Affleck. Altogether, it’s a fun action comedy that aims to tell a deeper story and only somewhat successfully sticks the landing.

The Instigators Has A Tone Problem

Surprisingly, the jokes at Matt Damon’s character’s expense aren’t the issue

I’ll be honest, The Instigators is at its strongest when it’s dealing with Rory’s mental health amid the wildness of a botched robbery. There’s really entertaining humor and true pathos in that dynamic. The scenes when Damon’s character is interacting with his therapist, Dr. Donna Rivera (Hong Chau), while also trying to contend with the annoyance of Cobby, are the movie’s strongest. In fact, I found myself wanting so much more of their off-kilter, three-person dynamic.

The problem is these scenes and that aspect of the storyline makes up only one part of the movie. The rest of it is attempting to be a gritty crime drama, complete with a corrupt mayor, a crime boss who attempts to salvage the situation and various threatening underlings whose intimidation we’re only told about. So much of The Instigators is aiming to be the kind of slick crime drama that Guy Ritchie cut his teeth on, but it’s also seemingly a parody of those movies. It ends up being neither.

The Instigators is proof it can be very difficult to balance action, comedy and drama and nail a tone that fits the movie while still staying true to the genres. That said, the movie does have enough comedy, and a strong enough duo with Damon and Affleck, that it’s still entertaining and fun to watch.

Matt Damon & Casey Affleck Give Great Performances

Hong Chau is also a major standout and plays well opposite both leads

While The Instigators’ supporting cast is extensive, the movie’s success undoubtedly rests on the shoulders of Damon and Affleck. Their comedic chemistry is truly great, with Damon playing the stoic straight man to Affleck’s motor-mouthed, annoying character. There’s a running theme throughout that Cobby tries to make Rory laugh, and the completion of that joke is so good it made me laugh out loud.

The actors’ chemistry is even wonderfully dynamic in the more dramatic moments. When each man finally opens up to the other and talks about their past, peeling back the layers of these characters, the drama of the scene is so much more entertaining than the big action scenes and car chases. When Chau’s Dr. Rivera is added to the mix, it deepens both the drama and comedy of the scenes, making them so much more compelling to watch.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the rest of the cast, though, because there are some fantastic performances from the other actors, even if they’re given much less screen time than the leads. Ron Perlman is great as Mayor Miccelli, with a perfect, commanding presence and the slight menace of a corrupt man.

Michael Stuhlbarg and Alfred Molina are terrific as the crime boss and his right-hand man who hire Rory and Cobby, then flee when things go south. Ving Rhames is… Ving Rhames, but there’s a reason he was hired for the role, and he plays it well. Paul Walter Hauser and Jack Harlow have small roles, and they’re good, though they’re not given much to work with.

Ultimately, The Instigators is Damon and Affleck’s movie, and they carry it well. It’s not the slickest action comedy, and may not necessarily be worth a trip to the cinema during the movie’s limited theatrical release, but it’s certainly worth a watch if you’re intrigued by the premise. The Instigators is easy fun, if not the most memorable.

The Instigators opens for a limited theatrical release Friday, August 2, before it starts streaming on Apple TV+ on Friday, August 9. It’s rated R for pervasive language and some violence.

3.0

The Instigators is a forthcoming film that revolves around the complex dynamics of a group of individuals who find themselves entangled in a web of intrigue and deception. As alliances are formed andtrust is broken, the true motives of each character are slowly revealed, leading to a crescendo of tension and suspense.

Pros

• Matt Damon and Casey Affleck have great comedic chemistry.
• Hong Chau adds a great dynamic to the movie.

Cons

• The action is forgettable.
• The story and tone are a little messy.