The first twenty minutes of The Instigators, a new movie by director Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow, Mr and Mrs. Smith, Swingers), presented by Apple Originals, is a delight. Each new scene introduces great actors to a story with unique characters navigating a time-worn yet always suspenseful plot (a heist).
Who can quibble with this A-list cast? Matt Damon (what hasn’t he done?), Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea), Michael Stuhlbarg (Your Honor, Dopesick), Alfred Molina (Spiderman, Frida), Hong Chau (The Whale, The Menu), Ving Rhames (Mission Impossible), Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Sons of Anarchy), Toby Jones (Capote), Paul Walter Hauser (Richard Jewell) and a fun cameo by pop star Jack Harlow thrown in for good measure.
What could go wrong?
How about the entire premise of the movie? The Instigators concerns two hapless robbers trying to escape capture while tethered to one of their therapists. Director Liman either made terrible choices or was hamstrung by a script that veered wildly into preposterousness. The core issue lies in the jarring juxtaposition of genres. While the heist elements are executed with a degree of suspense and action that fans of Liman’s previous work will appreciate, the introduction of a therapist character, Dr. Donna Rivera, played by the talented Hong Chau, disrupts the film’s momentum. Her presence in high-octane action sequences, spouting therapeutic jargon, creates an unwelcome dissonance. It’s like watching a car chase while your therapist narrates your emotional response – it’s unexpected, but as executed in the film, it’s also not funny. Perhaps at the table read, it gave producers hope that this heist/comedy had the patina of originality. Uh…no.
Despite its flaws, Michael Stuhlbarg and Alfred Molina, in the film’s opening act, give standout performances that showcase their comedic and dramatic talents. Their absence from the film’s latter half is a missed opportunity, leaving the plot incomplete. Ving Rhames’ character, a scary, violence-prone detective sent to retrieve a valuable artifact from the incompetent thieves, offers solace from the maelstrom of script incongruity that ensnares Damon and Affleck as the story progresses.
While it may stumble with its uneven tone and questionable plot choices, the star-studded cast, moments of genuine humor, and thrilling action sequences make The Instigators a watchable, if flawed, Apple-TV experience. Or perhaps it’s a film best enjoyed in bite-sized chunks, with the option to fast-forward through the more cringe-worthy bits.
Stephan Koplowitz is a director/choreographer and the author of On Site-Methods for Site-Specific Performance Creation by day. By night, he’s an avid cinephile.