The Instigators ★★

Released: 9 August 2024

Director: Doug Liman

Starring: Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Hong Chau

Heist films at their very best can be iconic and hugely entertaining, think Oceans Eleven, The Town or Reservoir Dogs, all putting spins on a tried and tested genre. The Instigators re-teams Oceans co-stars Matt Damon and Casey Affleck in another heist film, whilst also reuniting Damon with his Bourne Identity director Doug Liman. Can it hope to match the legacy of such efforts? Sadly the answer is a resounding no.

The plot feels very cookie cutter with two unwitting accomplices Rory (Damon) and Cobby (Affleck) on the run after a botched heist. Unlike Oceans or some of the more successful films in this genre, there is awfully little for us to care about with these characters and despite starring in multiple films together in the past, the chemistry between the pair fails to elevate it. Hong Chau as Rory’s shrink Dr. Donna injects proceedings with much-needed purpose and urgency. However with a cast that also includes Toby Jones, Alfred Molina, Ron Perlman and Michael Stuhlbarg, what should be a resounding success often feels like a chore to sit through.

Feeling incredibly by the numbers and laboured, there is nothing to make this a must-watch. The best heist and crime films are often one step ahead of the audience, but this film seems to forget to have fun or provide an engaging plot. It is a frustrating watch, with various subplots going nowhere fast or seeming irrelevant, while at only 100 minutes dragging especially in its second half. At his best Liman has proven to be a director capable of delivering exciting blockbusters like The Bourne Identity and Edge of Tomorrow. Yet in recent years he seems to have slid into a rut of sorts, with the likes of Chaos Walking and Locked Down barely leaving much of a mark. Sadly on this evidence, The Instigators looks set to continue this run.

The Instigators is an unsatisfying watch that wastes the talents of its leads and director to tell a run-of-the-mill story, with little to make it stand out in a congested genre. Consider it a rare misstep from Damon, who has recently been enjoying one of the best runs of his career. A cast of this calibre of course makes it watchable, but it is far from the knock out that it could have been.