The Instigators Movie Review: An effective heist comedy with thoughtful writing

Doug Liman’s heist comedy The Instigators on Apple TV+ is light and nimble on its feet but is not as vacuous as it seems at first look. At its core, the film is an action comedy about a heist that goes off the rails in hilarious ways. The makers focus on the comedy and satirical themes instead of making it suspenseful throughout. Sometimes, the simplest formula—two charismatic leads, a chaotic plot, and plenty of laughs—is all you need. In terms of what it tries to achieve, The Instigators delivers the goods, with some clever Easter eggs along the way.

Director: Doug Liman

Cast: Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Ving Rhames, Hong Chau, Ron Perlman

Streamer: Apple TV+

Every other character in Doug Liman’s heist comedy is instigating something, which forms a part of a chain of events with a ripple effect. Take Matt Damon’s Rory, for instance. He is a suicidal single father whose desperation for money to win back his son plays a part in looting a building with illicit mayoral funds in Boston. Rory is a good man who goes down a bad path because he feels it is his only way to have the funds to pay for a mortgage, lawyer fees, and child support. His eventual deed is symptomatic of the broader economic inequalities at play in a society run by corrupt bureaucrats, such as Mayor Miccelli (an in-form Ron Perlman). He is a rookie criminal who takes notes on how to execute a heist. Rory’s life is hanging by a rope and, sadly, he is too late for a career change and learning the ropes of his ‘trade’. On the other hand, Casey Affleck plays Cobby, a world-weary ex-con with a cynical outlook on life and the political machinery. Cobby teams up with Rory for the heist job because he has little else to do and, as he himself says, he “makes his own luck”. According to mob boss Michael Stuhlbarg, who enlists these two misfits for the heist, the job is pretty straightforward: put on a pair of masks, take all the money from the mayor’s secret vault, and flee the scene. However, things go sideways quickly, forcing Rory and Cobby to run for their lives, with a lethal detective (Ving Rhames) and an army of cops on their trail.

The Instigators is a slightly derivative comedy where the stakes are low, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Why? Because the film is self-aware enough to not take itself too seriously and packs enough nuance to make you think. At about 90 minutes, it zips through with plenty of enjoyable action and humour. The best part of the film is the chemistry between its two leads. Damon brings some gravitas to his role, and Affleck counterbalances it with his deadpan humour. It is hilarious to see Cobby tease Rory for his ‘lack of experience’ as a ‘heist specialist’. Likewise when Rory takes a jab or two at Cobby’s occasional tendency to jump the gun. Together, they are a delight to watch, but Affleck’s dynamics extend beyond the one he shares with Damon. Cobby tries to hit on Rory’s shrink (Hong Chau), who ends up being their ‘hostage’, as they get away from a swarm of cop cars and choppers encircling them from all corners of the city. Affleck’s dry wit kicks in when he tells her, “If we survive this, would you ever consider having a cup of coffee with me?”

Cobby also has a sense of apathy for the citizens of Boston with an iota of goodness in them. When firefighters come chasing after Cobby at a crucial juncture, for instance, he exalts, “Does everybody in this town have to be a f***ing hero?” This scene underscores the anti-hero elements of Cobby. For an ex-con, Cobby knows when to lay low, but when he chooses to instigate an act of violence, there is nothing like it.

Speaking of which, even Hong Chau’s therapist has a line that embodies her indirect role in driving her clientele down a path of crime and violence. As Rory speeds past the encircling cop cars in the middle of the city in a scene that pays a hat tip to Damon and Liman’s 2002 film The Bourne Identity, she tells him to wreck the car fully so that she can apply for insurance. The fact that a Jason Bourne reference—”I’m in the middle of a high-speed car chase”—does not feel out of place in a film about crime and its ensuing chaos is one of its biggest draws.