Apple TV+ is home to a wealth of stellar TV shows including crowd favorites like Severance and Slow Horses. However, do not sleep on the tech giant’s film offerings, including Oscar fare like Killers of the Flower Moon but also comedy flicks starring A-listers. Such is the case for The Instigators, which brings back Matt Damon with a Boston accent, and what more do you need?
Much more is on tap for the film, as it turns out. For starters, this is Road House remake director Doug Liman’s followup movie, so you can count on snappy one-liners and a barrel full of wit amid the laughs and action pieces. Do not forget also, that Liman previously directed Damon in The Bourne Identity, so Damon and Affleck weren’t the only parties coming home with this project. What else can we expect from the movie?
Plot
Matt Damon portrays Rory, a father looking to improve most facets of his life and who begrudgingly teams up with Casey Affleck’s ex-con, Cobby. Together, they’re going to steal the ill-gotten gains from a corrupt politician. Naturally, the situation goes sideways, and the pursuers end up being pursued. Where do they turn for help? Rory’s therapist (Hong Chau), of course, as one does. Surely, nothing else will go wrong with that kind of backup.
Of Damon’s character, Liman previously told the Associated Press, “You’ve never seen a character like this in a heist movie.” How so? “This is a guy who doesn’t speed. He’s done everything in his life sort of by the books and this is the first time he’s going to break the rules.”
Affleck co-wrote the script, for which he drew from a deep well of iconic buddy comedies and crime team-ups. As he told Entertainment Weekly, “The inspiration for this was definitely Midnight Run and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” This was fully intentional, since Affleck has “wanted to do a buddy action comedy” for awhile.
From the Apple TV+ synopsis:
[W]hen the heist goes wrong, the two find themselves engulfed in a whirlwind of chaos, pursued not only by police but also by backward bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses. Completely out of their depth, they convince Rory’s therapist to join their riotous getaway through the city, where they must put aside their differences and work together to evade capture — or worse.
Cast
In addition to the leading duo, this film co-stars Jack Harlow, Ron Perlman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Paul Walter Hauser, Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, and Toby Jones.
Release Date
The Instigators streams on August 9.
Trailer
Let the Boston accents roll. Damon is loving it!
