When I got invited to an early screening of THE INSTIGATORS, I didn’t look up anything more about it. I thought I heard it starred Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and I was excited with the thought of them together on screen again. I drove across down to Apple’s gorgeous campus, my first visit there. The staff that greeted me were possibly the nicest studio staff I have ever had a first encounter with. Truly welcoming, knowledgeable, and kind. The screening room was comfortable with couches and pillows. What a welcome change from the days of an overworked security guard shouting directions to an overcrowded screening room with uncomfortable chairs. Suddenly, everything stopped being great when the movie started. NOT Ben Affleck, but Casey Affleck! Hollywood’s most mediocre family member would be gracing my screen for almost 2 hours.
So after all that, THE INSTIGATORS and I didn’t off to a great start. I’ve always found Casey to be the lesser of the Affleck brothers. Perhaps it’s because I feel like he mostly only has a career because of Ben. Some of it is also that annoying (to me) voice of his. And the awful sexual harassment he put upon his staff (that came out during the #MeToo movement) did nothing to help his image in my eyes. Yes, he’s had some strong outings. He’s the best part of the overrated THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD. And he’s got a small part in one of my most favorite films, INTERSTELLAR. He won, what I felt was an undeserved Oscar for MANCHESTER BY THE SEA. I’m getting off track here, but you can hopefully sense my dislike of him.Â
Bias toward the star of the film aside, THE INSTIGATORS just isn’t a good movie. It’s better than director Doug Liman’s other 2024 outing, ROAD HOUSE. There are some fun and funny moments, especially between Damon and the rest of the cast. Yet nothing comes together, and nothing really pays off, especially the biggest plot propelling the story forward. Damon’s character, Rory, starts off the film as a suicidal divorced veteran who longs to do whatever it takes to see his son again. To feel worthy of seeing his son again after screwing up his marriage. Affleck’s character is a career criminal, and a terrible one at that because he wants to be? That’s what the writers are going for here. If he was the convict that he’s made out to be, he could never been that dumb.Â
There are just so many things in THE INSTIGATORS that don’t make sense. Just about every major character makes terrible choices throughout the movie. And while a good movie doesn’t need people to make GOOD choices, it at the very least needs them to make ones that make sense. These do not. Hong Chau’s Dr. Rivera is unquestionably the best portrayal in the film and the best character. And even she does so many things that will have you rolling your eyes over and over throughout.
I don’t know if THE INSTIGATORS was ever meant for a theatrical release or not, but it doesn’t deserve one. I hope Apple isn’t putting this up for award season just because it has multiple Oscar-winning or Oscar-nominated actors in it. It’s a real stinker. And even if we replaced Casey with Ben Affleck, nothing could have saved it.Â
THE INSTIGATORS is streaming on Apple TV+. Â
