Ivan Radford | On 11, Aug 2024

Director: Doug Liman
Cast: Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Hong Chau, Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, Toby Jones, Ron Perlman
Certificate: 15

“Never got you to laugh, did I?” “Yeah, you did.” That’s the sound of Matt Damon and Casey Affleck reuniting more than 20 years after Ocean’s Eleven. This time, the heist they’re involved in is far less slick – in fact, it’s barely a heist at all, as their bumbling duo stumble from one bad decision to the next.

Damon stars as Rory, a desparate father whose days are spent filled with regret and appointments with his therapist (Hong Chau). Affleck plays Cobby, an ex-con who – much to everyone else’s surprise – runs a bar, but is struggling to stay on the right side of his parole. They’re hired by two dodgy fellas (Michael Stuhlbarg and Alfred Molina) to rob Boston’s corrupt mayor (Ron Perlman), who is attempting to get re-elected. But when that goes awry, they end up somewhere between a kidnapping and a dash for the border, as they’re pursued by cops and criminals alike – and bring Rory’s therapist along for the ride in a misjudged attempt to secure their own safety.

Doug Liman directs the set pieces with aplomb, but the overlong script – by Chuck MacLean and Casey Affleck – threatens to lose momentum long before its final act. It falls to the cast to hold the show on the road, and Damon and Affleck have a snappy, hangdog chemistry that keeps things entertaining. Chau’s blunt deadpan and a supporting cast of people clearly enjoying the implausible banter and shady dealings (hello to Toby Jones) inject some liveliness into proceedings.

The result is uneven and far too familiar, but for an easygoing blockbuster on a hot summer’s night, The Instigators is an enjoyable ride. Will it stay in your memory for long? No. Does it get you to laugh? Yes, it does.

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