You cast a couple of very bankable star leads and a strong contingent of other big name actors in cameos, and you start with a pretty good premise. And then, much like the plot of the film, the whole thing falls apart. The Instigators has very quietly appeared on Apple TV+ this week. It stars Matt Damon and Casey Affleck as a couple of small time crooks in Boston (of course) who run from one mess-up to the next. Rory (Damon) is a former Marine and father who just needs some money for his kid, really a reluctant robber. Cobby (Affleck) is more a regular ne’er do well who is entirely in it for the big payout. And it is supposed to be a BIG one! They and a team of other bad guys are robbing the extremely corrupt Mayor of Boston (Ron Perlman) at his election victory party, where there are guaranteed to be tons of cash donations (aka bribes). And it is all planned out perfectly, so what could possibly go wrong?
Just about everything, starting with their arrival in a boat that can’t even dock. And it just gets worse when the Mayor loses the election and the whole caper blows up, causing them to decide to rob the Mayor and his inner circle, and take one particular piece of jewelry that the Mayor needs badly enough to send his big gun (Ving Rhames) after the two as they flee from one place to another and another with every law enforcement officer in the state on their tail. Added to the mix is Rory’s therapist, Dr. Rivera (Hong Chau, The Whale, The Menu), who gets involved in their escape and their mental well-being.
I can see how this might have seemed fun on paper, but the comedy never really hits and Damon’s poor sad dad schtick is wearing. And despite a whole lot of chase and actions scenes, the plot really goes nowhere — really slowly. I guess it is fortunate that it is on a streaming service, so you won’t feel bad about turning to something else or watching it while you’re doing other things. You won’t miss a lot.
[Mainstream Chick’s take: I generally concur with Arty Chick on this one. Damon and Affleck are easy to watch and always give solid performances, but the film as a whole doesn’t really work. The highlight for me was Hong Chau’s performance– and scene-stealing quips– as therapist/hostage. She injects some life into a rather lifeless plot. The Instigators isn’t terrible. It’s just not very good, mostly because it fails to find its footing as a comedy, or a drama, or a heist movie. Sometimes you gotta pick a lane. –hb]
Only on Apple TV+