Doug Liman is known for kickstarting the Jason Bourne franchise with The Bourne Identity, but perhaps even more for what’s often considered one of the best action films of its decade, Edge of Tomorrow. Unfortunately, since that 2014 release, the filmmaker has been inconsistent with his work, producing reasonably satisfying films like Locked Down and Road House, but also disasters like The Wall and Chaos Walking. Nevertheless, I remain a fan and confident in his return to the spotlight, so my expectations for The Instigators were rather high.
With a star-studded cast and a script written by Chuck Maclean (City on a Hill) and Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea) – who also stars as one of the leads of the film alongside Matt Damon (Oppenheimer) – The Instigators tells the story of Rory (Damon) and Cobby (Affleck) as reluctant partners. A desperate father and an ex-con, respectively, are forced to rob a corrupt politician, and when the plan goes awry, they find themselves caught in pure chaos, pursued not only by the police but also by crazy bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses.
In essence, a typical heist flick. Usually, this type of film shares common basic characteristics, with the chosen tone – or the balance between different tones – being the key differentiator from movie to movie. The Instigators has the right cast, the correct chemistry, and the dry, effective humor needed, with the constant provocative interactions between Rory and Cobby being the most entertaining, captivating moments of the film. Damon and Affleck play off each other with fascinating ease, though the extreme reliance on this dynamic ultimately harms the movie, making the banter inconsistent and even excessive.
However, as mentioned earlier, nailing the tone was crucial, and here, Liman struggles. The Instigators doesn’t seem to hit the absurd, ridiculous tone from the start, failing to convey that the film isn’t meant to be taken too seriously. The first act sparks some intrigue regarding the protagonists’ pasts, but aside from a few humorous, sarcastic moments, there aren’t enough indicators to prepare for the subsequent tonal shift, which ends up being abrupt and confusing.
It’s hard to grasp the movie’s true intent: whether it aimed to be just a lighthearted, funny heist flick or a story of personal redemption. The Instigators fails at both, lacking enough entertainment to keep viewers engaged – all the plot points stumble over each other without much organization or logic – while also not offering rich content for the characters it portrays, with quite superficial revelations and lacking themes to explore or valuable messages to transmit. Even the few action sequences fall short due to a lack of energy and innovation, leading to a rather monotonous viewing experience.
The greatest achievement of The Instigators was securing so many phenomenal actors to play clichéd, hollow roles. Hong Chau (The Whale) adds a touch of grace as the psychologist who gets caught up in the protagonists’ chaos, trying to help them through repetitive dialogues like “And how did that make you feel?” Michael Stuhlbarg (The Shape of Water) throws out a few curse words alongside his buddy Alfred Molina (Spider-Man: No Way Home). And Ron Perlman (Hellboy) makes the most of every minute of screen time he’s given.
Final Thoughts on The Instigators
The Instigators uses its star-studded cast to attract viewers, but excellent performances alone aren’t enough to create a memorable, satisfying film. The sarcastic humor found in the banter between Matt Damon and Casey Affleck attempts to elevate a superficial, formulaic heist flick with inconsistent entertainment, but the mission becomes impossible due to the lack of better tonal control. It’s neither a deep study of personal redemption nor a film with enough cheap thrills to convince an audience to spread the word. Underwhelmingly dull.
Rating: D+
The Instigators is now streaming on Apple TV+.
Learn more about the film, including how to watch, at the Apple website for the title.
