The Instigators, 2024.
Directed by Doug Liman.
Starring Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Hong Chau, Michael Stuhlbarg, Paul Walter Hauser, Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, Toby Jones, Jack Harlow, Ron Perlman, Caylee Cowan, Don DiPetta, Richie Moriarty, Ronnie Cho, Owen Earls, Omar Moustafa Ghonim, Natalie Carter, Mike Bash, Robert Walker Branchaud, Jay Giannone, Craig Castaldo, and Rob Gronkowski.
SYNOPSIS:
Follows two robbers who must go on the run with the help of one of their therapists after a theft doesn’t go as planned.
Before viewers even have the chance to process who the mismatched duo of Bostonians Rory and Cobby (Matt Damon and Casey Affleck) are or some feelings behind their broad motives, Director Doug Liman’s The Instigators is tossing the characters into a heist robbing from a corrupt mayor on re-election night (expected to win again and played by Ron Perlman) where an afterparty with entrance restricted by a hefty entrance fee will make for a sizable take. Unsurprisingly, that plan hatched by Jack Harlow’s Scalvo goes sideways, a criminal lackey already in hot water for consistently screwing things up working under mobsters played by Michael Stuhlbarg and Alfred Molina.
Rory and Cobby have never met one another before, which is a bit of a surprise since the chemistry in these types of movies usually relies on a strained friendship or past betrayal. Neither of them particularly wants to be roped into this mess being orchestrated, but they are both looking to atone for certain aspects of their lives and could use the money. In Rory’s case, all he specifically wants is $32,0000 to pay off family debts and feel like a providing father, visiting his son for hockey practice and looking him in the eyes without feeling like a failure. He refuses to take nothing more of the cut and nothing less. Meanwhile, Cobby has served jail time for an act of heated rage while defending a relative and also looks to do something positive with his take of the money.
As previously mentioned, the seemingly bulletproof plan goes haywire, with Rory and Cobby evading numerous parties, each with individual stakes in the failed robbery. Rory is the no-nonsense, straight-faced one currently also enrolled in therapy under Dr. Donna Rivera (Hong Chau), whereas Cobby is the wisecracker, even with a bullet lodged in his arm. The script from Chuck MacLean and Casey Affleck also wisely never pushes either character too far in those directions, allowing for some breathing room to discuss what they are doing with their lives and the fear of what they have found themselves caught up in.
At one point, Rory brings Donna along as a willing hostage to buy time and deliver the money to his family, which naturally brings about more philosophical talk as Cobby perhaps learns a thing or two about himself from the therapist while also outwardly trying to reject her advice. Intriguingly, it could be seen as a story of two men coming to the realization under hot pursuit that therapy is constructive. Mildly disappointingly, the film does away with this three-way dynamic soon after bringing it into the fold.
Part of that is because the film is so chaotic it never really settles into one location, situation, or dynamic. That energy is also welcome, considering there are some impressively orchestrated vehicular chases packed with police cars clogging the streets, covering a lot of ground with the occasional striking overhead view or shot of cars zooming across a bridge. These sequences feel carefully constructed and practical in a way most modern films simply aren’t. They are sometimes breathtaking to take in (courtesy of cinematographer Henry Braham), although there isn’t necessarily a blockbuster money shot within them.
As one probably imagines, it’s not just law enforcement chasing after Rory and Cobby: the criminals they work for perceive them as loose ends to remove, bringing in an amusing, bumbling assassin played by Paul Walter Hauser. Then there is Ving Rhames as an enforcer to the mayor, who will stop at nothing to retrieve an especially important watch (with a predictable hidden use) that was stolen from him in the initial botched robbery. As such, even when there is some downtime at a nearby beach house, someone is usually not far behind, ready to force the characters back into action. That’s also fine, considering that even when Rory and Cobby briefly bond over their backstories, the characterization is slim, serviceable, and nothing more.
The stressful danger brings the characters around into one final heist, all as Rory and Cobby soak in some life lessons about what matters and what sons truly value. Taking place in a New England winter, The Instigators is dripping in that chilly, gloomy aesthetic, with characters bickering and roasting one another in that unmistakable Bostonian crass charm. Doug Liman also doesn’t take the proceedings too seriously, keeping situations light, such as with characters easily donning disguises and immediately finding themselves wrapped up in additional hijinks. Everyone here is having fun, which is infectious for an otherwise barebones story that doesn’t instigate much passion, positive or negative. Sometimes, sitting back and watching Matt Damon and Casey Affleck do their thing is enough.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
