The Instigators (2024) || A Heist That Had No Business Working

This is one of the funniest messes of a heist film I’ve seen in a while and I mean that as a compliment. This movie cracked me up from start to finish. I couldn’t even pay attention to the action because I was busy laughing.

Anyway…

Synopsis

The story follows Rory (Matt Damon), a desperate man trying to hold his life together, and Cobby (Casey Affleck), a down-on-his-luck ex-con. The two team up for a heist which at first seems simple. All they have to do is rob a crooked politician. But sadly, nothing goes according to plan.

The robbery goes sideways almost immediately, and before long, they’re on the run across Boston with cops, criminals, and just about everyone else in hot pursuit. Oh, and Rory’s therapist (Hong Chau) gets dragged into the madness, which only makes things more unpredictable.

---

comedy in the chaos

What made me laugh and kick my feet wasn’t just the banter (though there’s plenty of sharp one-liners), but the sheer absurdity of how everything unravels. I suspected from the trailer that this film isn’t the sleek, calculated heist of Ocean’s Eleven but this is the version where everything goes wrong, and the guys are basically winging it while chaos follows them around like a shadow. Half the time, I was laughing not because they were clever, but because they were so spectacularly not.

Matt Damon and Casey Affleck slip into their roles perfectly. Damon gives Rory a kind of “everyman stuck in over his head” vibe, while Affleck nails the awkward, jittery partner energy. Together, they’re so hilarious, bickering, panicking and you know, surviving.

Hong Chau steals every scene she’s in too. She grounds the insanity with this sharp wit and no-nonsense delivery that had me grinning. And kudos to the supporting cast, who keep piling on the tension while never losing the comedic rhythm.

Doug Liman (the director) ^{first time coming across his work} leans into chaos here. The pacing is fast, almost frantic at times and the Boston setting gives it grit without getting too dark. The action sequences are messy in the best way. It’s like watching a domino line fall apart because someone sneezed in the middle. It’s not glossy, it’s not neat, but that’s what makes it so funny.

If I’m being fair, the story itself isn’t really revolutionary. Some jokes don’t land and there are moments where the frantic pace feels more exhausting than exciting. But honestly, the cast’s energy makes up for the rough edges.

But…

It worked for me anyway because sometimes, you don’t want the perfect heist. Just the chaos, the mishaps, the “how are these guys still alive?” moments. I laughed not just at the jokes, but at the sheer ridiculousness of the situations they found themselves in. It’s the kind of film that reminds you that comedy doesn’t always need polish, sometimes, just a little scrappy energy does it nicely.

I am not really a fan of comedy because what they make these days are dry and absurd but this one, it’s absurd, yes but it’s also entertaining and it also gives you two lovable screw-ups to root for even when they’re in way over their heads.

Rating: 7.9/10

Highly Recommended!