Review: Matt Damon is terrific in 'The Instigators'
Maybe you're not too excited about "The Instigators," since heist movies are a dime a dozen, especially in summer. Surprise! This one delivers action without skimping on character.
Starring Oscar winners Matt Damon and Casey Affleck, "The Instigators," now in theaters ahead of its Aug. 9 streaming debut on Apple TV+, already has a leg up since both actors are Massachusetts natives who felt at home shooting on Boston locations, with Affleck writing the script with Chuck Maclean and director Doug Liman pounding the suspense pedal, just like he did when he and Damon teamed on 2002's "The Bourne Identity."
Damon plays Rory, a divorced dad with bills to pay, amounting to exactly $32,480. "Mortgage, back child support, that's on me," says this troubled ex-Marine who's feeling suicidal about letting down his wife and son.
"What are you, 60?" sasses Cobby (Affleck) the ex-con who signs on as Rory's partner in crime. For the record Damon is only 53.
The target, just off Boston harbor, is the HQ of crooked Mayor Miccelli (a sweaty, sensational Ron Perlman), who's running against candidate Mark Choi (Ronnie Cho). According to the brains behind the heist (a subtly menacing Michael Stuhlbarg) the job to rob the mayor's campaign warchest shouldn't take more than 15 minutes. Put on your masks, take the money and run.
The best laid plans soon go off the rails and Liman ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "Road House") stages the robbery and its getaway aftermath with startling precision and breathless suspense. As the bodies pile up in this blue-collar "Ocean's 11," Rory and Cobby must flee for their lives on foot and by fire truck. And what about that bracelet the mayor keeps going on about? I'll never tell.
Credit the script for serving up tangy, well-seasoned dialogue that the cast can feast on. Damon gets laughs as the crime amateur who takes written notes on how to plan a robbery. And Affleck teases him unmercifully as the alleged pro in a team of bumblers.
"The Instigators" is also a family affair since it's a co-production with Artists Equity, the company instigated by co-founders Damon and bestie Ben Affleck (Casey Affleck's brother) who hit paydirt with their first effort, 2023's "Air." It looks like lightning may just strike again.
"The Instigators" is a psychological thriller in the real sense of the term. Our anti-heroes actually bring a psychiatrist along for the ride. She's Dr. Donna Rivera, the shrink who regularly talks Rory off a cliff and comes in handy when a bullet hits Cobby. I didn't believe a word about how the good doc figures in the action, but Hong Chau brings a strong female perspective to this world of macho.
Better yet, the overqualified cast keeps springing surprises. Rapper Jack Harlow is a grenade ready to blow as the hotheaded Scalvo and Ving Rhames his polar opposite as uber-cool detective Frank Toomey. You can't go wrong in the presence of such acting pros as Alfred Molina, André De Shields and Toby Jones. And Paul Walter Hauser crushes it as a psycho called Booch (love the name). They're a rogue's gallery to die for.
But this show is built to be stolen by its two leads. Damon, terrific as always, brings the gravitas, while Affleck -- his eyes alive with mischief -- is the life of the party.
By the end, they've built an essential quality into their characters: a rooting interest. Happy endings are a tricky business. But thanks to this irresistible crew, "The Instigators" delivers the kick of a job well done.
