The Instigators

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2:21

The Instigators

R

2024

1h 41m

Action

Comedy

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

41%

Tomatometer

158 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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Audience Says

While its cast makes this implausible heist watchable, The Instigators fails to stir up enough excitement to keep you from snoozing.

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Robert Levin

Newsday

08/13/2024

2.5/4

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.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

08/12/2024

2/5

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

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Barry Hertz

Globe and Mail

08/12/2024

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.

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Marta Medina Pérez

mundoCine

Aug 15

2/5

A heist that goes just as badly as the film itself. [Full Review in Spanish]

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Patrick Beatty

ABC4 Utah

Aug 12

This is a film you can have playing in the background and still be entertained.

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Ross Anthony

Hollywood Report Card

Apr 9

3/4

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.

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Yusuf N

08/10/2024

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

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dsh

08/04/2024

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

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JimPalmer

08/04/2024

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.

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Drew N

@Drewboii 1d

Great movies, real life humour. Definitely worth watching.

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Frank C.

@Fix13 5d

I thought it was fun. I like the actors and it’s farce. I’d say just enjoy it for what it is.

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Jay M

@Filmgoer Jan 19

If they show at the $1 movie - don't go. If they show on Netflix Paramount or other - pass.

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Doug Liman

Director

Matt Damon

Rory

Casey Affleck

Cobby

Hong Chau

Actor

Michael Stuhlbarg

Actor

Paul Walter Hauser

Actor

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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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