The Instigators 2024 Vegamovies: Release Date, Box Office Collection and Review

Official Synopsis

Rory (Matt Damon) and Cobby (Casey Affleck) are reluctant partners: a desperate father and an ex-con join forces to steal a corrupt politician's illegal fortune. But when their plan goes awry, they find themselves in a chaotic situation, pursued not only by the police but also by crime bosses and shady bureaucrats. Completely outmatched, they convince Rory's therapist (Hong Chau) to join them on the run. They'll have to put their differences aside and work together to avoid capture - or worse.

The Instigators 2024 Movie Storyline

Apple TV+ is releasing a new reunion between Matt Damon and Casey Affleck very soon, which seeks to take advantage of the good streak of the buddy movies in 2024.

Buddy movies are having a great year both in theaters and streaming, with examples like Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Deadpool and The Wolverine, and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F., which, while not 100% a buddy movie, has many elements of this subgenre.

Apple TV+ wants to take advantage of the wave and is about to release The Instigators, which arrives on August 9 in the platform's film catalog after a brief limited release in theaters in the United States.

Matt Damon ( The Last Duel ) produces and co-stars with Casey Affleck ( Oppenheimer ), who co-wrote the film with Chuck MacLean. At the helm is Doug Liman ( Edge of Tomorrow ), who recently released Road House. He's a tough guy.

Today, at HobbyCine, we bring you our review of The Instigators. Will the tandem of Matt Damon and Casey Affleck work in this buddy movie through the streets of Boston?

Two lives adrift about to turn upside down

The premise of The Instigators follows Rory (Damon) and Cobby (Affleck), two men who don't know each other at all and couldn't have a more different life, although they have one thing in common: they are both in free fall.

The need to put a smile on their faces will lead them to accept a job in a crime that could put an end to all their financial problems, although it entails certain risks, and even more so if we take into account that they are the Pierre Nodoyuna of robberies.

As expected, things go wrong, and Rory and Cobby end up alone and with everyone hunting them, and not with the best intentions, so they will need to put aside their differences and find the help they need to get out of the quagmire.

In that sense, the plot of The Instigators is quite linear and not very innovative , although it combines the comedy characteristic of buddy movies with a couple of dramatic arcs that provide depth to the two protagonists. This is especially noticeable with the presence of Dr. Riviera, played by Hong Chau ( The Whale ).

Destructive action with the signature of Doug Liman

The strong point of The Instigators lies in the action sequences, something where the experience of Doug Liman and director of photography Henry Braham, whose work we will see in the next Superman movie, by the way, is very noticeable.

There are some sequences worthy of a Michael Bay film for the amount of destruction they offer through frenetic chases through the streets of Boston.

At close range, the action is fairly limited and only used to resolve situations, but don't expect extensive martial displays like in a John Wick movie or as if we unleashed Jason Statham. The instigators don't need that kind of action either, by the way.

The fast-paced pace of these sequences contrasts quite clearly with other, much calmer scenes that sometimes cut into the mood a little. It's not that they are superfluous, but some come at times when a little less restraint is needed.

A balance of tones that sometimes contrasts too much

First of all, we must say that The Instigators does not limit itself to bringing us stars like Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, and Hong Chau, as its cast includes some very interesting names.

Notable actors include Paul Walter Hauser ( Cobra Kai ), Michael Stuhlbarg ( A Serious Man ), Ron Perlman ( Sons of Anarchy ), Ving Rhames ( Mission: Impossible – Sentence Sentence ), Toby Jones ( The Hunger Games ) and Alfred Molina ( Spider-Man 2 ).

No one doubts the talent of the cast, the problem is that many of those who have villain or bad guy roles are too caricatured and tend to overact, something that makes the comedy predominate excessively in the film and breaks the balance with the action and, especially, with the dramatic aspect.

Less clichéd villains would have been more effective and helped balance things out, letting Matt Damon and Casey Affleck's chemistry take center stage, as it should be in buddy movies.

That the film is set in Boston is not a surprise given that it is a production of Artists Equity, the production company of Damon and Ben Affleck, but it is perhaps a somewhat cold setting for a summer release, especially given the recent comparisons in cities such as Miami ( Bad Boys: Ride or Die ) or Los Angeles ( Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. ).

Despite everything, The Instigators is a very entertaining film that adds variety to the Apple TV+ film catalogue and, at times, it is a shame that it has not been properly released in cinemas, although the platform has not yet found the key to make its films perform on the big screen.

Remember: The Instigators arrives on Apple TV+ on August 9, with Matt Damon and Casey Affleck delivering in this buddy movie that is somewhat weaker than recent examples, but worthy enough.

The Instigators: Release Date, Trailer, Songs, Cast