Review of The Instigators: A Heist Lacking Charm and Humor

The classic heist-gone-wrong story gets a new update with “The Instigators”. Matt Damon and Casey Affleck, known for their roles in the Ocean’s trilogy, reunite to bring this film to life. Over the years, they’ve also collaborated in various non-heist films including “Good Will Hunting”, “Chasing Amy”, “Gerry”, “Interstellar”, and last year’s “Oppenheimer”. Their on-screen synergy spans decades. However, their latest endeavor, written by Affleck and Chuck Maclean, fails to deliver the excitement expected from a heist comedy.

“The Instigators” is a disappointing attempt at creating a heist film with comedic elements. The movie tries to have fun but struggles to find its footing, primarily focusing on the aftermath of the heist rather than the event itself. This approach has worked in films like “Reservoir Dogs”, but here, it fails to generate sufficient thrills or laughs to engage the audience.

Directed by Doug Liman, who previously collaborated with Damon on “The Bourne Identity”, this is Liman’s second movie of the year after “Road House”. While “Road House” faced an unfortunate streaming-only release that it didn’t deserve, “The Instigators” feels right at home on streaming services due to its lackluster impact.

One of the major weaknesses of “The Instigators” lies in its characters. We meet Damon’s character, Rory, who is at a low point in life and contemplates suicide in front of his therapist. Enter Affleck as Cobby, and they proceed with a heist involving Jack Harlow’s character, Scalvo. The setup for the heist, and especially for the characters, is poorly executed. Rory’s backstory, particularly his need for money for his son, is inadequately portrayed, making it difficult for viewers to connect with or care about him.

Rory’s development is further hindered when Dr. Donna Rivera (played by Hong Chau) points out his tendency to talk to avoid confronting issues. This moment offers little insight into his character, making him dull and uninteresting. Despite Damon and Affleck’s Oscar-winning talents and longstanding collaboration, their performances alone aren’t enough to salvage the film.

Effective dynamic duos in comedy typically feature contrasting personalities that clash yet complement each other. In “The Instigators”, both characters are at low points, but they are too similar to generate interesting banter or conflict. Damon and Affleck’s roles could have been swapped without making a difference, highlighting the script’s lack of depth.

The film doesn’t explore the evolution of the characters’ relationship since they already know each other from the beginning. Instead of putting their relationship through more compelling challenges, the movie skimps on conflict, reducing tension to a few minor disagreements. The heist’s first act has a few mildly funny moments, but the characters remain underdeveloped, neither as individuals nor in their dynamic with each other.

Another significant flaw is the movie’s obliviousness to its own shortcomings. Viewing this film at its world premiere, where the atmosphere should have been most receptive to humor, highlighted its failure to land jokes. Sporadic laughter from the audience revealed a low batting average for comedic attempts, failing to sustain an engaging viewing experience.

“The Instigators” attempts to capitalize on its Boston setting but falls short here too. A critical sequence during a car chase amplifies the movie’s flaws. Rory has the radio on, and while a unique song plays, it barely makes an impact due to Rory and Cobby’s unfunny banter overshadowing it. The movie misses an opportunity for a dynamic soundtrack moment, reflecting its overall inability to infuse fun effectively.

Where “The Instigators” embraces a more lighthearted tone, it finds some success. However, even in its best moments, the film lacks the vitality, urgency, and excitement necessary to elevate it. Subplots involving characters like Ron Perlman’s mayor and Alfred Molina’s role feel underdeveloped and uninteresting. Despite the comedic talents of Damon and Affleck, their performances come across as muted.

Given Liman’s previous success with action-comedies like “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”, one might expect more electric chemistry and dynamic characters from “The Instigators”. Yet, the film’s characters need further development to make the narrative and interactions compelling.

In summary, “The Instigators” is a charmless and humorless heist film, struggling to find its identity and engage its audience. Its ineffective character development, lackluster comedy, and inability to fully utilize its setting contribute to a disappointing movie experience.

Source: ComingSoon.net