The Instigators

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2:21

The Instigators

R

Released Aug 2, 2024

1h 41m

Action

Comedy

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

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Popcornmeter

40%

Tomatometer

156 Reviews

55%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Rory (Matt Damon) and Cobby (Casey Affleck) are reluctant partners: a desperate father and an ex-con thrown together to rob a corrupt politician's ill-gained earnings. But when the heist goes wrong, the two find themselves engulfed in a whirlwind of chaos, pursued not only by police but also by backward bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses. Completely out of their depth, they convince Rory's therapist (Hong Chau) to join their riotous getaway through the city, where they must put aside their differences and work together to evade capture -- or worse.

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Critics Consensus

The alchemy of Casey Affleck and Matt Damon's knucklehead rapport provides some charm, but this laidback caper unravels due to a lack of intrigue and pulse.

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Robert Levin

Newsday

No matter how much heft the Actors Equity team brings to the project on both sides of the camera, there's simply no evading the fact that the movie plays as so inconsequential, so free of meaning and purpose, that it offers nothing to grab onto.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 13, 2024

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

It should be pulpy fun powered by car chases and zippy repartee, but The Instigators is a dispiriting and predictable drag of a movie.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 12, 2024

Full Review

Barry Hertz

Globe and Mail

Certainly, all the ingredients are here for a fun night in, from the absolutely killer cast to the familiar Damon/Affleck stomping grounds of Boston. But nothing quite clicks in this tale of charming low-life thieves.

Aug 12, 2024

Full Review

Ross Anthony

Hollywood Report Card

Also, has anyone been saying what a great actor Casey Affleck is? His performances are powerful, emotional, real, purposely un-showey. His low-key retorts in this film are sharp, edgy, and hard-hitting despite their carefully understated delivery.

Rated: 3/4

Apr 9, 2025

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Pete Vonder Haar

Houston Press

It's fun to see Damon play an idiot (even if the "taking notes at a criminal conspiracy" line was ripped off from The Wire), but Chau is the only factor making this even a mild recommend.

Rated: 2.5/5

Nov 20, 2024

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Erik Childress

Movie Madness Podcast

It is hard to watch Matt Damon play so dumb next to Casey Affleck’s sleepy comic mannerisms in an overly plotted but thinly scripted heist film crossed with political corruption that is part of the definition of this era’s direct-to-streaming content.

Rated: 2/4

Oct 28, 2024

Full Review

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Yusuf N

Casey Affleck is a gem and his deadpan lines were just delightfully droll!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/10/24

Full Review

dsh

Plot was ridiculous and implausible, script was terrible and the language was foul - constant f-bombs.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/04/24

Full Review

JimPalmer

It was interesting but its language was distracting and unnecessary. Have to wonder if the actors children are allowed to see this movie. No need for sentences of profanity.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/04/24

Full Review

Elaine D

Don’t really get the bad reviews. It’s a crime caper movie, very good fun and Matt Damon and Casey Affleck are very entertaining. Great secondary actors too.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/09/25

Full Review

Audience Member

The movie was good. Fun to watch...

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/05/25

Full Review

Stephen C

A failure in 1 hour and 41 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Matt Damon is not in his best form.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/01/25

Full Review

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Doug Liman

Director

Matt Damon

Rory

Casey Affleck

Cobby

Hong Chau

Actor

Michael Stuhlbarg

Actor

Paul Walter Hauser

Actor

The Instigators: Exclusive Movie Clip - Car Chase

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The Instigators: Trailer 1

2:21

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Synopsis

Rory (Matt Damon) and Cobby (Casey Affleck) are reluctant partners: a desperate father and an ex-con thrown together to rob a corrupt politician's ill-gained earnings. But when the heist goes wrong, the two find themselves engulfed in a whirlwind of chaos, pursued not only by police but also by backward bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses. Completely out of their depth, they convince Rory's therapist (Hong Chau) to join their riotous getaway through the city, where they must put aside their differences and work together to evade capture -- or worse.

Director: Doug Liman
Producer: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Kevin J. Walsh
Screenwriter: Chuck MacLean
Distributor: Apple TV+
Production Co: The Walsh Company, Apple TV+, Studio 8, Apple Studios, Apple Original Films, Artists Equity
Rating: R (Some Violence|Pervasive Language)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Mystery & Thriller, Crime
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 2, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 9, 2024
Runtime: 1h 41m

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