Doug Liman has one of the most interesting double-features this year with Road House and The Instigators, starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck. On paper, they are two completely different entities. When you watch both, though, it is clear that Liman can knock fun out of the park.
Hearing the synopsis of The Instigators is unlikely to gravitate you toward a theater (or subscribing to Apple TV+, frankly). Rory (Matt Damon) is a divorced dad who wants to see his son again. He is drowned in lawyer fees and various debts. To attempt to make $32,480 — the exact number he is adamant about making — Rory joins a group for a heist of the mayor's affluent party on election night.
This crew — spearheaded by the hilariously hammy Michael Stuhlberg, who plays Mr. Besegai — also features Scalvo (Jack Harlow) and Cobby (Casey Affleck). After the robbery is unsuccessful, they are forced to go on the run, avoiding cops and the mayor's (who is played by Ron Perlman) lackeys alike.
The mayor is targeting them because of a specific item they stole. To help them, they string Rory's therapist, Dr. Donna Rivera (Hong Chau), along for the adventure.
The Instigators review
On the run crime movies are a dime a dozen. From Bonnie and Clyde to Thelma and Louise to Good Time, they are nothing new. But The Instigators, co-written by Affleck and Chuck MacLean, gets by thanks to the stars' rapport.
Matt Damon and Casey Affleck are no strangers to one another — they are fresh off starring in Oppenheimer together. Their back and forth — Rory as the straight man out of place and Cobby as the experienced criminal constantly left befuddled — carry the movie.
The relationship begins with lots of groans and eye rolls. By the end, they are like dysfunctional brothers of some sort. Damon plays his part incredibly well — an average guy with an average job who wants to see his kid again.
Conversely, Affleck's [wicked] smart-ass comments and banter are unmatched. He also has a hilarious dynamic with Chau's character.
These are not unfamiliar character archetypes, not even to the actors themselves, but comfort food can be good on occasion. And that is what The Instigators thrives as.
Doug Liman's banner year
It is almost hard to believe that the director of Road House made The Instigators. For one, the latter looks like an actual movie and has a filmic quality that the former undoubtedly missed. At times, Road House looked more like a video game than a movie.
The biggest difference is that Liman and cinematographer Henry Braham (who filmed both movies) don't overdo it with drone shots and wild angles as they did in Road House. Granted, they don't have to track the frantic energy of a Conor McGregor here. Their celebrity appearance spot goes to Jack Harlow, who is featured far more prominently than expected and is a capable actor.
(Not to completely crap on Road House. The remake is a lot of fun despite how disjointed its story is and how janky it looks.)
And the action is fun when it happens. The Instigators is not filled with it, but the chase sequence is more entertaining than expected.
Getting the best out of his actors
If nothing else, Liman knows how to get hammy performances from his actors. In Road House, he had Conor McGregor acting like a rabid dog (it is still unclear if that was actually acting or not). He masked McGregor's lack of acting ability by placing him in situations where he thrives (less talking, more punching).
Luckily, The Instigators has more qualified actors. Damon and Affleck's frenemies dynamic is complemented by Chau, who wants nothing to do with Rory and Cobby's life on the run. She serves as the moral compass for both guys (while psychoanalyzing them).
Neither Road House nor The Instigators reinvent the wheel. But they both remind audiences to laugh and have fun with movies — The Instigators' story has been seen dozens of times, not with actors like Matt Damon and Casey Affleck.
Should you watch The Instigators?
Hollywood is infested with streaming junk and awful sequels. The Instigators is a stark reminder of a time when every movie did not advertise the next in the franchise. It feels like a movie conceptualized in the early 2000s, only to be made in 2024.
At this point in their careers, Damon and Affleck look to be having fun with their work. The two have collaborated several times in the past, but their dynamic has never been better.
Liman and Co. make the most of the movie's premise and take The Instigators further than it could have gone itself. Unlike Chao in The Instigators, it will not feel like you are being held hostage watching it.
Grade: B-
The Instigators will be released in theaters on August 2 and on Apple TV+ on August 9.
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