Thanks to streaming, the landscape of cinema has entirely changed. What once would have been a summer crime caper built for the cinema now goes to the small screen. Depending on how you view it, that can be both a benefit and a curse. The curse is that movies like The Italian Job (1969) or the 2000s Ocean’s trilogy do not get the same theatrical treatment they once did. Instead, those sorts of films are being relegated to the small screen on services like Netflix, Hulu, or Apple TV+. Simultaneously, those services allow those types of movies to be made in the first place.
Without the newfound world of streaming, those movies might not be made anymore. Thanks to Apple TV+, Director Doug Liman’s new film, The Instigators, is earning its chance in the spotlight. The Instigators follows Rory (Matt Damon), a divorced ex-Marine and ex-con Cobby (Casey Affleck), who are recruited for a supposed easy heist. When it goes wrong, the mismatched duo goes on the run against a seedy underbelly of Boston criminals and politicians. An attempt at an old-school, action/comedy/crime-caper story follows, with varying results.
The Instigators thankfully succeeds in its small-town crime-like ambitions. That is in large part thanks to the cast. Both Affleck and Damon deliver two distinct but individually likable performances. Damon’s “everyman“ role helps him provide an effective fish-out-of-water type humor. While never a proper thief, his naivety in a newfound crime-filled world is quite funny. It stems from his line delivery, which shows a genuine sincerity in his lack of understanding of this world. That delivers a perfect counterbalance to Casey Affleck’s ex-con character. Affleck steals every moment he is on the screen. His dry wit and snarky side commentary are often hilarious. His ability to deliver a biting line helps to elevate a rather cliched story. Simultaneously, Affleck has to serve as the “mentor“ for Damon and audiences in this world of crime. The role requires him to help elevate a straightforward crime narrative involving various supporting actors.
The supporting cast includes Hong Chau, Jack Harlow, Alfred Molina, Ving Rhames, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Ron Perlman. Each actor plays a very archetypal role that viewers have seen before. Similarly to Damon and Affleck, the supporting cast understands the film’s intentions. While falling into more archetypal roles, the supporting cast injects the movie with a needed personality. It’s beneficial when the film’s screenplay prioritizes a focus on place and character over plot.
The film, written by Chuck MacLean and Casey Affleck, has a compelling small-town feeling. You buy these characters and their clearly defined roots in Boston. This includes the geographical choices of the film (being set in more small-town areas), making this world believable. The interconnected crime world feels relatively small, making the more menacing characters effectively threatening. It delivers a comedic tinge to the action in a world where everyone knows each other. Where The Instigators falls short resides in its plot. That is not to discount the film’s entertaining and robust narrative set-up.
Starting in The Instigators, the film attempts to have moments similar to the Ocean’s Trilogy. While not having that similar charm, snappy editing creates a delightful atmosphere. The cast is likable, with clever banter and a sense of place, making them feel as believable as these characters. At its core, the story can best be described as a modernized heist crime/comedy with a Coen-Brothers-like quirk. Once our heroes go on the run and the larger story gets moving, the film becomes much less interesting.
A larger corruption story takes shape, primarily involving Ron Perlman, Toby Jones, and an election. In theory, how that (and a weirdly placed Rob Gronkowski cameo) fits into the story should work. It’s setting up our heroes as those who (unknowingly) take down some bad people. The problem is that the plot involving certain characters’ dilemmas is less engaging than this cast’s banter, particularly for Affleck and Damon. Such story beats like political corruption, and gangster culture have no originality. Instead, they have certain actors embracing the sometimes self-serious nature of the film. A silliness is on display here that, while occasionally noticeable, gets mistakenly thought of as tense.
In actuality, those characters’ self-seriousness leads to both intentional and sometimes unintentionally hilarious moments. This contradicts the solid rapport established when Affleck and Damon are on-screen together. Their banter remains humorous, even if it takes time to find its footing. Some may mistake the time their banter takes to form as the actor’s lack of chemistry. Their chemistry has to be built gradually throughout the story, showing a begrudging friendship bloom. Granted, such a build-up feels rushed in places, which could be blamed on the screenplay. With the plot’s obvious precedence as the film progresses, one may feel more time could be spent on our heroes. Thankfully, with the engaging banter, some could overlook that problem.
The Instigators mainly succeeded in its ambitions of a farcical crime-comedy. The cast is game for its fast-paced and funny nature, delivering jokes rapidly. Damon and Affleck succeed as a mismatched pair of regular guys, getting thrown into a comical and tense situation. That is, even if their “friendship“ feels rushed in some places. Even if the supporting characters are not as well-drawn, everyone is more than ready for a comical crime adventure. If only the film hadn’t taken itself as seriously in some places, it could’ve delivered a more robust result. For what it is The Instigators delivers highly entertaining results, even if all of the pieces don’t come together.
The Instigators is now streaming on Apple TV+.
Learn more about the film, including how to watch, at the Apple TV+ website.
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