The Instigators: Why I Could Barely Last 20 Minutes

First Impressions and Expectations

Alright, before we dive into this, I’ve got to admit something right off the bat: I know I’m way behind on this movie. The Instigators dropped on Apple TV+ about three months ago, so you might be wondering why I’m writing a review now. The answer’s pretty simple – I’m new to Apple TV+.

Apple’s streaming service isn’t exactly Netflix or Prime Video in terms of popularity, right? Last I checked, Apple TV+ only has about 10% of the market share, so there are probably plenty of you out there who haven’t seen this movie yet, and maybe you’re curious if it’s worth it. So whether this review is helpful or just an entertaining look at my experience, I figure it might add a little value here.

So, The Instigators. Right off the bat, I have to admit that this movie wasn’t exactly at the top of my list. I checked out App,le TV+’s “Top Movies” list, and I’d already seen Wolves with George Clooney and Brad Pitt, which was solid and a fun watch. That one was #1, so it felt like a safe bet.

The next two slots were taken up by the holiday specials A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas, neither of which grabbed my interest. So here I am, arriving at #4, The Instigators, and it’s time to give it a go. But I’ll be honest—I went into it with pretty low expectations.

You know when you can almost tell what a movie’s going to be like just from the thumbnail? That’s exactly how I felt. Something about it looked… I don’t know, a little cheesy. It reminded me of the kind of thing you’d see on network TV, like NBC or ABC. The setup just felt off.

Matt Damon and Casey Affleck with cop cars in the background, giving off this blank-stare, low-effort vibe that surprised me coming from Apple. Apple TV+ usually has a sophisticated, almost artsy vibe to its lineup. You know, like it’s curated for the “Apple crowd” – the people who are into sipping expensive coffee in artsy cafes, reading thoughtful nonfiction, maybe even arguing over single-origin coffee beans. So seeing The Instigators looking like a standard crime flick, something Netflix might’ve just tossed some money at, didn’t scream “high quality” to me.

And it’s not just the look—I’m not a big fan of the action-comedy genre to begin with. I’ve seen enough of these buddy cop-style movies that promise laughs and thrills but usually end up being neither funny nor thrilling. So, honestly, my gut told me I probably wasn’t going to like this one.

But, in the spirit of fairness and curiosity, I decided to give it a shot, especially because of Doug Liman, the director. He’s known for The Bourne Identity and Edge of Tomorrow, two movies I genuinely enjoyed. So I thought, maybe, just maybe, Liman could bring something fresh to this one and prove me wrong. If anyone could salvage my impression of the thumbnail, it’d be the director who brought Jason Bourne to life.

Still, I had my doubts. Between the genre and the thumbnail, I was already questioning how far I’d get. But hey, I’ve got a blog, and I’m here to explore different stuff for better or worse. So, I’m rolling up my sleeves, diving into this, and I’ll break down exactly what I thought about the movie, why it wasn’t for me, and why I didn’t make it past the first 20 minutes. Let’s get into it.

A Heaping Dose of Boston and a Weak Action-Comedy Mix

Alright, so let’s get into the vibe of this movie, which, honestly, was about as Boston as it gets. I don’t know if it was intentional or just a natural byproduct of having Damon and Affleck leading the charge, but this movie was absolutely dripping in Boston culture—and for me, it was a little much.

Don’t get me wrong; I’ve got nothing against Boston. It’s a cool city with its own character and charm, but this movie felt like it was made by Boston, for Boston, and only Boston. If you’re from there, maybe there’s an appeal, but for anyone else? It might be hard to relate.

I think it’s safe to say that most of us watch movies to escape or to dive into new perspectives, but The Instigators just kept circling back to that Boston essence. It’s in the accents (so heavy it almost feels like a parody at times), in the character attitudes, and in that kind of rough-around-the-edges, almost cocky vibe that’s fun in moderation but grating when it feels like it’s cranked up to eleven. And trust me, it’s cranked up here.

Every line of dialogue, every interaction, it’s like they were trying to remind you, “Hey, this is Boston, don’t forget it!” It was almost like they thought being Bostonian was a personality trait in itself, which honestly took away from making the characters actually interesting.

Then there’s the genre choice—action-comedy—which I’ll admit isn’t my favorite, but I wanted to give it a chance. The thing with action-comedies, though, is they usually need strong characters to make it work, some real charm or wit to pull you in. Here, we get a mix of characters who are, frankly, hard to care about, and humor that feels kind of forced. A lot of these action-comedy films feel like they’re made for that quick, surface-level laugh, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel that here.

Like I’ve said before, if you’re into that whole Jason Statham or Mark Wahlberg kind of thing, maybe this works for you. But as I’ve gotten older, especially now as a dad in my 40s, I just don’t have patience for plots about people committing crimes, bickering through bad jokes, or glorifying reckless, hoodlum behavior. It just feels like it’s trying too hard to be both funny and thrilling and somehow misses both marks.

And let’s talk about the characters themselves. There’s no real depth here, no reason to root for Rory or Cobby. I mean, sure, there’s this whole setup with Rory’s backstory, him being in therapy and struggling, but it feels half-baked. Like, they mention he’s been through something rough with his son, but then they gloss over it so quickly that it doesn’t really hit.

It’s like they threw in a tragic backstory just to check a box, and then moved on to the next “fun” heist scene without actually building on that depth. As a viewer, it left me with no connection to him or his motives, and certainly no reason to care about what happens next. He’s just… there, doing stuff, and we’re supposed to be on board.

I guess, ultimately, what bothers me most is that I went in expecting something that would keep me engaged. I thought Doug Liman’s direction might elevate it or bring something fresh, but even with a strong director at the helm, it’s hard to save a movie when the characters are flat and the story just kind of meanders without any real punch. The Boston setting and accent overload, the generic “bad guy” heist plot, and the lack of relatable characters all made this feel like a movie that missed the mark, especially for anyone not already bought into that Boston culture.

So, for me, this whole vibe just didn’t work. If you’re not from Boston, or if you’re not a fan of that exaggerated action-comedy tone, it’s hard to see how this movie would appeal.

The Plot, Characters, and Why They Just Don’t Work

Alright, let’s get into the plot and characters, because for me, this is where The Instigators really falls apart. It’s like they couldn’t decide what they wanted the movie to be, so they just threw in a bunch of ideas and hoped it’d all come together. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.

From what I could see, the story is about Rory (Matt Damon) and Cobby (Casey Affleck) planning a heist against this corrupt mayor. Simple enough, right? But the problem is, it feels like there was no real effort put into making any of it compelling. You’d expect a heist movie to have some tension, some stakes, some characters you actually care about, but this was just a collection of scenes that never really grabbed me.

Let’s start with Rory. The movie tries to set him up as this down-and-out guy with a troubled past. He’s got some heavy baggage, apparently related to his son and a messy divorce, and he’s in therapy. That sounds like a promising foundation for a character—someone dealing with real issues while getting caught up in a heist could be interesting, right?

But instead of diving into that and giving us something to hold onto, they just toss these details out there and move on. Like, okay, we’re told he’s suicidal and going through a hard time, but they never really show us why we should care about him or his struggles. It’s almost like they included these details to give Rory “depth” without actually doing the work to make it meaningful. The result? I just couldn’t connect with him.

And then there’s Cobby, played by Casey Affleck. I mean, sure, Affleck has this whole “rough-around-the-edges” thing going on, but his character just felt like a bad mix of tough-guy clichés and annoying quirks. There’s this constant bickering between him and Rory that’s clearly supposed to be funny, but it comes off as forced. There’s no real chemistry between them that makes me believe they’re close or have some kind of meaningful friendship. Instead, they’re just kind of… there, taking shots at each other, which quickly gets old. Cobby, in particular, has zero redeeming qualities, and his abrasive attitude only makes him harder to root for.

Then we have the plot—or, well, the attempt at one. The whole heist is centered around robbing a corrupt Boston mayor, but even that feels half-baked. There’s no real buildup or tension to it. They don’t do much to establish why this mayor is “deserving” of being robbed, other than a few vague references to corruption. So, as a viewer, I wasn’t given any strong reason to feel invested in this heist.

And if I’m going to watch a movie about a couple of guys pulling off a robbery, I need something to root for—either compelling characters, a slick plan, or at least an antagonist that makes the heist feel worthwhile. Here, there’s none of that. It’s just Rory and Cobby trying to steal from this guy without any of the finesse or planning that usually makes heist movies fun to watch.

And to make matters worse, the humor is a total miss. I get that it’s supposed to be an action-comedy, so the back-and-forth banter is supposed to keep things light, but it just ends up being grating. There’s a fine line between bickering that’s funny and bickering that’s just annoying, and this one crossed it fast. The jokes feel like they were trying to copy that classic “buddy cop” style, but without the wit or timing to actually land them. Instead of funny, it comes off as awkward and, frankly, pretty lame.

Honestly, there’s nothing endearing about any of these characters. They’re not charming, they’re not relatable, and they’re definitely not the kind of characters I’d spend my time rooting for. It’s a shame because with a director like Doug Liman, I was expecting some level of polish or intensity, but even his direction couldn’t save these characters or their half-hearted story. And don’t get me started on the music—it’s this cheesy, wannabe-edgy soundtrack that tries way too hard to set a cool, suspenseful tone but ends up just being distracting.

At the end of the day, I need something to connect with in a movie, whether it’s a character, the story, or just a cool vibe. Here, there was none of that. It’s hard to root for two guys I can’t stand, in a plot that doesn’t hook me, with humor that just doesn’t land. So if you’re wondering why I stopped watching at the 20-minute mark, it’s because the story and characters gave me zero reasons to keep going.

Final Verdict: Why I Stopped Watching

Alright, here’s the deal. I tried—I really tried—to give this movie a fair shot. I went in with low expectations, sure, but I was open to being surprised. I made it about 20 minutes in before I had to hit pause and honestly just didn’t feel any pull to keep going. Let me tell you why, because there’s a lot that just didn’t work for me.

First off, as I’ve mentioned, the Boston overload was way too much. Look, I get that Matt Damon and Casey Affleck have that whole Boston connection, but this movie felt like it was made for a small niche of die-hard Bostonians. Everything from the accents to the attitude of the characters just screamed “Boston,” and while that’s cool in small doses, this felt like an overload. It’s like the movie assumed everyone watching would automatically connect with this Boston vibe and find it endearing, but for me, it did the opposite. I found myself getting more annoyed than anything.

It’s almost like they took all the stereotypes, dialed them up, and hoped we’d all think it was charming. Newsflash—it wasn’t. Then there’s the plot, or what little of it I managed to see before I tapped out. There’s a lot of talk about a heist, some corrupt mayor they’re planning to rob, and a couple of side characters we’re supposed to believe are “bad guys.” But none of it feels fleshed out, and it certainly doesn’t make for a compelling story.

I mean, I’m all for a good heist movie when the stakes feel high and the planning is clever, but this was just… boring. The setup is weak, and the motivations are even weaker. They’re robbing this guy because he’s corrupt? Okay, sure, but what else? Why should I care? They didn’t even try to make me feel invested in this mission or give me any reason to root for the heist to succeed. It’s like they expected me to jump on board without giving me anything to actually hold onto.

And that brings me to the characters. For a movie that’s supposed to be about these two guys taking on the system or whatever, there’s shockingly little to like about either Rory or Cobby. Rory has this tragic backstory that’s barely explored, and it feels like it’s only there to add a little “depth” on paper, not in practice. It’s mentioned briefly that he’s struggling, that he’s been through some rough stuff with his son, but then the movie just moves right along.

There’s no development, no reason to actually care about him, and certainly no reason to want to see him succeed in this heist. And as for Cobby—he’s just plain annoying. He’s got this abrasive, tough-guy attitude that doesn’t make him endearing or likable, and the so-called banter between him and Rory is anything but funny. It’s forced, it’s repetitive, and it just doesn’t work.

To top it off, the tone of the movie feels totally confused. I know it’s supposed to be an action-comedy, but the comedy didn’t land for me, and the action felt like it was barely there. The few jokes that were thrown in felt lazy, and the attempts at “serious” moments didn’t feel genuine or earned. It’s like the movie couldn’t decide if it wanted to be a goofy, high-energy heist flick or something with a bit of drama and emotional weight, so it just kind of hovered awkwardly in the middle, doing neither well.

And let’s not forget the final straw: Rob Gronkowski’s cameo. Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m all for a good cameo, and I get that Gronk is a local hero in Boston. But here’s the thing: if you’re going to throw in a Gronk cameo, then just embrace the absurdity and go full comedy. Don’t try to have serious, dramatic undertones mixed with random celebrity cameos. It’s jarring and feels like the movie has no clue what it wants to be. Gronk’s appearance was like the final confirmation that this movie wasn’t taking itself seriously, but in a way that came off as lazy instead of clever.

So yeah, I stopped watching because nothing in this movie gave me a reason to keep going. The Boston vibe felt forced, the plot was weak, the characters were forgettable, and the humor just didn’t work. I’m a father in my 40s now, and maybe 10 or 15 years ago I’d have been more patient with something like this. But these days, I don’t have time for a movie that glorifies crime without any real story or character depth to back it up.

Maybe this movie would appeal to a younger crowd, or maybe to people who just want to zone out and watch a couple of guys mess around with a heist plan. But for me? It was a hard pass. If a movie can’t hook me in the first 20 minutes, I’m out, and The Instigators gave me plenty of reasons to stop watching.

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