‘The Instigators’: Rare Fail for A-Lister Crew

“The Instigators,” about a bunch of incompetent robbers, features a stellar cast and director but fails to deliver a comedy pay-off.
‘The Instigators’: Rare Fail for A-Lister Crew
Rory (Matt Damon) and Cobby (Casey Affleck) in "The Instigators." AppleTV+
Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson
Film Critic
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R | 1h 41m | Comedy, Heist, Thriller | Aug. 9, 2024
“The Instigators” has all the trappings of a really fun movie. It’s Boston-based, and when we think of Boston movies, we think about the Damon-Affleck Dynasty; “Good Will Hunting,” “Gone Baby Gone,” and “The Town.” There’s also the Damon-Affleck winning combo that produced and starred in “Air.”
Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson
Film Critic
Mark Jackson is the chief film critic for The Epoch Times, and a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. He earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Williams College, followed by a classical theater conservatory training, and has 20 years' experience as a New York professional actor. He narrated The Epoch Times audiobook "How the Specter of Communism is Ruling Our World," available on iTunes, Audible, and YouTube. Mark is cited in the book "How to be a Film Critic in Five Easy Lessons" by Christopher K. Brooks. In addition to film, he enjoys Harley-Davidsons, martial arts, rock-climbing, qigong, and human rights activism.