Doug Liman’s, The Instigators, is a film in search of a tone, interesting character development, and originality. The heist gone awry plot has been around for over 80 years. This is a genre that should be put to bed, as there is nothing new to bring to stories of inept crooks botching a robbery and dealing with the ensuing consequences. Starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck and written by Affleck and Chuck MacLean, Liman’s latest wastes its talented cast (and the audience’s time) by presenting one of the most frustratingly bland caper movies ever produced. 

Set in Boston, the picture stars Matt Damon as Rory, a depressed (and somewhat suicidal) ex-Marine who is in the throws of depression. Separated from his wife and ashamed to face his son, due to his owing thousands in child support, Rory shares his issues with a VA therapist (Hong Chau, in a badly written role). What Rory needs is to see his son again and to come up with $32,480.

With the right script, Damon is a fine actor. Too often, he relies on his wide smile and Matt Damon charm rather than diving deep into a character, but there are a good number of films that prove his skills. This is not one of them. As Rory, the actor turns in one of his least interesting performances. He mugs and broods for most of the film while lazily bantering with Affleck. This is one picture that could have used a glimmer of that Damon shine. What he does here is the definition of dull. 

Casey Affleck is Cobby. Recently released from prison on a robbery conviction, this is a man who drinks too much and just wants to get the hell out of Boston. The actor is the film’s only source of pleasure, as he gives the film’s one good performance. The actor uses his quiet demeanor and soft, scratchy speaking voice to good effect, giving Cobby an intensity that is barely cloaked by his non-stop need to talk and bust everyone’s chops. Being the co-screenwriter, Affleck gives himself the best lines (although they seem mostly improvised) and his character is the source of the film’s faint sparks of humor.

Rory and Cobby reluctantly team with a short-tempered hood called Scalvo (Jack Harlow) for a score set up by a small time criminal named Mr. Besegai (a sadly awful Michael Stuhlbarg), who runs things from his bakery with his partner, Richie (Alfred Molina, in a thankless role). The plan is to rob the city’s corrupt mayor (Ron Perlman) on the night of his campaign fundraiser. The mayor’s crooked dealings and the untraceable cash donations will prevent any involvement from the authorities.

If you have ever seen a movie, you know the robbery goes badly. People die and Cobby gets shot in the shoulder. The moment where the heist goes sideways is designed to have a darkly comedic overtone followed by the sting of shocking violence, yet Liman cannot make it happen. His direction is too fast, as he moves from one moment to the next without creating tension or excitement. Even the planning of the robbery is clumsily handled. A few quick scenes of talking about the plan and the audience is thrown into the score without being properly enticed. By the time things start to go wrong for the characters, the film’s interest level has already been botched. 

Once Damon, Affleck, and Chau are involved in a car chase with the entire Boston police force bearing down on them (Chau’s reason for being in the car is quite stupid), we realize how clumsy Doug Liman has become at directing big action scenes. Putting major movie stars in a vehicle and having them banter while being chased by tons of cop cars and helicopters doesn’t spell comedy-action gold if the action is sloppily handled. In The Blues Brothers John Landis took hundreds of cop cars on the streets of Chicago and turned it into a masterful comedic ballet of car crash mayhem. For The Instigators, Liman has tons of automobiles at his disposal and designs a few crashes, but he makes nothing interesting out of the mix. A few helicopter shots of the chase fail to make up for uninspiring filmmaking. 

By the time Ving Rhames, Toby Jones, and Paul Walter Hauser enter the film in small roles, it seems a desperate play for “Ooh, look who it is” cameos. Each actor is saddled with useless dialogue in nothing roles. 

This is a film that seems to not give a damn if it entertains the audience. The heist moments are dull, the buddy-comedy arc fizzles, the action is stunted by lackluster filmmaking, and the screenplay seems to have little time for building interesting characters.

Something happened to Doug Liman. The filmmaker exploded with his instant classic 1996 Indie sensation Swingers, which was a smart, unique, and very funny riff on single men living in L.A. He followed that up with the viciously entertaining dark crime comedy, Go in 1999 and the exciting adaptation of The Bourne Identity in 2002. Shortly after (save for the somewhat interesting political thriller Fair Game in 2010), Liman seemed to sell his soul to Hollywood, helming big budget action films. While a couple were entertaining (2005’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith was a surprising delight), most were uninteresting retreads of films and themes we have seen time and time again. 

The Instigators is nowhere near the travesty that is the director’s other 2024 release (the shockingly insipid Road House), but this film can be considered an even bigger failure due to the major talent involved and the sharp talents Doug Liman once possessed. 

The Instigators

Written by Chuck MacLean & Casey Affleck

Directed by Doug Liman

Starring Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Hong Chau, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alfred Molina, Ron Perlman, Ving Rhames, Toby Jones, Paul Walter Hauser

R, 101 Minutes, Apple Original Films