REVIEW: ‘The Instigators’ Is A Messy Miss

AppleTV+ has had a long list of television successes across genres and formats. The films, though, have been critically acclaimed and Academy Award-nominated hits and some messy misses. The Instigators, a heist comedy directed by Doug Liman and written by Chuck MacLean and Casey Affleck, falls into the latter category.

Set in Boston (obviously), Rory (Matt Damon) is a desperate father in need of 32 thousand dollars, and Cobby (Casey Affleck) is an ex-con who spends most of his time getting drunk at a bar. The two are reluctant partners in a scheme to rob a corrupt politician on election night. He deserves it, and the duo deserves an opportunity to make away with cash. But when the heist goes wrong, the two find themselves engulfed in a whirlwind of chaos, pursued not only by the police but also by the crime bosses who hired them and more. With every right thing they do, two more things fall apart.

Completely opposite people, their comedy of errors piles high. Completely out of their depth, they convince Rory’s therapist, Dr. Donna Rivera (Hong Chau), to join them as she mediates their difference and tries to stay ahead of the people chasing them to avoid jail time or, well, losing their lives.

There is nothing really grounded about The Instigators. Cobby is unlikable from start to finish, Rory is just ignorant of how deep the situation keeps going, and the only character of any substance is just Rory’s therapist, who exists in the third act to talk the duo off their incompetence ledge. While Damon’s Rory has endearing moments, far more than Affleck’s character, there is still an unusually wooden quality to the performance. This isn’t how we’re used to seeing Damon, particularly in adult comedies.

The Instigators sports a cast stacked with actors like Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, Toby Jones, and Ron Perlman. It even has a nice stunt casting that doesn’t overstay its welcome with Jack Harlow. However, the potential that came from the cast is nearly wasted as the film’s narrative begins to stagnate toward its third act.

Even with its faults, the comedy of errors unfolds in a rather intelligent way. It’s Murphy’s Law, the movie that would be extremely exciting if the characters offered more than one-dimensional identities. The film’s beginning is crafted extremely well as the group of thieves descends a rabbit hole dug with one mishap and bad decision after another. The full-circle ending of the film also offers a lot more to chew on for audiences. But the middle part drags itself, weighing down the experience.

For her part, Hong Chau does her best to balance the off-kilter chemistry between Affleck and Damon. As Dr. Rivera, she is the calm one and the only one of the trio who seems to be planning anything at all. At the same time, however, her character exists just to take care of the two. More a caregiver than a character in her own right, it squanders Chau’s talent.

The Investigators is fine to spend time with if you already have AppleTV+, but it’s not a film that warrants a big screen. Even if the cast list screams that it does. There are some laughs to be had, but the on-screen chemistry between Damon and Affleck leaves a lot to be desired, a space that the younger Affleck can’t take over from his older brother. The Instigator is a messy attempt at a comedy of errors let down by its lack of chemistry.

The Investigators is streaming on AppleTV+ on August 9, 2024.