Movie · 2024 · Crime, Comedy · 1h 42m · R · English
Curator score: 0.7/10 (43.3K ratings)
Worst. Heist. Ever.
Overview
Rory and Cobby are unlikely partners thrown together for a heist. But when it goes awry, they team up with an unusual accomplice — Rory's therapist — to outrun police, backward bureaucrats, and a vengeful crime boss.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.7/10
IMDb: 6.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 41%
Metacritic: 48
TMDB: 6.1/10
Director
Doug Liman
Production
Artists Equity, The Walsh Company, Apple Studios, Studio 8
Cast
Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Ving Rhames, Jack Harlow, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alfred Molina, Owen Earls, Hong Chau, Natalie Carter, Walter Liebman, André De Shields, Ron Perlman, Rob Gronkowski, Toby Jones, Slate Holmgren, Ronnie Cho, Sheika Murray, Perry Strong, Nick Trice, Tommy Nohilly
Where to watch
Apple TV Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A breezy, star-driven crime comedy with a few solid laughs and enough chemistry to keep it moving, but it’s also uneven, underwritten, and often feels flatter than its premise promises. Best approached as lightweight streaming entertainment rather than a sharp or memorable heist film.
Best for
Viewers who want an easygoing Boston-set caper
Fans of deadpan buddy-comedy chemistry
People who don’t mind a loose, low-stakes crime plot
Anyone looking for a casual, turn-your-brain-off watch
Skip if
You want a clever, tightly plotted heist movie
You need high energy or big set-piece momentum
You’re sensitive to wasted ensemble casts
You prefer crime comedies with sharper jokes and stronger payoff
Overview
The Instigators has the bones of a fun hangout movie: a mismatched duo, a criminal mess that keeps getting worse, and a supporting cast that should, in theory, make the whole thing pop. It gets by on charm more than precision, and there are enough decent laughs to justify a casual watch if you’re already in the mood for a light caper.
Worth noting
But the movie never quite locks into a satisfying rhythm. The plotting is reactive rather than propulsive, the energy is surprisingly muted for a chase comedy, and several promising performers feel underused. It’s the kind of film that suggests a better version of itself in almost every scene.
Bottom line
If you like crime comedies that are more about vibe and banter than airtight mechanics, this can still play well. If you’re hoping for a smart, twisty heist movie with real snap, it’s likely to leave you wanting more.
Top Letterboxd reviews
justinwuah (2★) · 1717 likes
i want to know ben affleck's thoughts after seeing matt damon and casey affleck having so much fun together without him
Kit Lazer (2.5★) · 541 likes
It got like 4 big laughs out of me! The cast is crazy stacked and completely wasted or misused.
Joe A (2.5★) · 470 likes
All I could think about while watching this movie was that one Sam Adam’s commercial.
Your cousin… from Bos-Ton
zoë rose bryant (2.5★) · 451 likes
family movie night (mom’s pick)
Matt Singer (2.5★) · 360 likes
Point of order: Are these guys instigators of anything? They don’t even instigate their crimes; they’re hired by a mobster type to help him pull off a robbery. Then they go on the run, then they do other stuff. They’re purely reactive characters. They instigate nothing.
Generic and inaccurate title aside, this has a good enough cast that it’s not boring. It would be better, though, if half that cast didn’t vanish after a scene or two. My other main… more