"THE INSTIGATORS" MOVIE REVIEW

 "THE INSTIGATORS"

MOVIE REVIEW

The Instigators is a 2024 American heist comedy film directed by Doug Liman and written by Chuck Maclean and Casey Affleck. The film stars Affleck and Matt Damon, with a supporting cast that includes Hong Chau, Michael Stuhlbarg, Paul Walter Hauser, Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, Toby Jones, Jack Harlow, and Ron Perlman.

The Instigators was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on August 2, 2024, before making its streaming debut on Apple TV+ on August 9, 2024. The film received mixed reviews from critics.

In the gripping crime thriller set against the backdrop of Boston's mayoral election, the tension is high as a group of criminals plot to pull off a daring heist. Corrupt incumbent Mayor Joseph Miccelli, who is deeply involved in shady dealings, plans to throw a lavish celebration at the Wharf on election night, expecting to collect a significant amount of cash bribes from various corrupt sources. Miccelli, however, doesn’t know that he is being targeted by two mobsters, Besegai and Dechico, who have plans of their own.

Besegai and Dechico, seizing the opportunity, intend to steal the bribe money before it’s picked up by an armored car. To pull off their ambitious heist, they recruit a group of accomplices, each with their own troubled past. Among them are Scalvo, their trusted but unpredictable underling, Rory, a divorced Marine veteran struggling with his demons, and Cobby Murphy, an alcoholic ex-con who has had a rough life. Rory, driven by personal reasons, is adamant that his share of the loot must amount to exactly $32,480—a specific figure that seems to hold significant importance for him. 

As Rory tries to sort out his plans with his therapist, Dr. Rivera, it's clear that his past is haunting him, but he struggles to explain the true nature of his involvement in the impending heist. Meanwhile, Cobby finds himself being warned by his bartender, Mr. Kelly, who urges him not to return to a life of crime, sensing that it will lead to nothing but trouble. Despite these warnings, the crew moves forward with their plan.

The group sneaks into the mayor’s celebration through the kitchen, only to discover the unexpected—the event is packed with people, as challenger Mark Choi has won the election. However, despite Choi’s victory, Miccelli refuses to concede, clinging to power in a tense political standoff. To make matters worse for the crew, the Wharf’s safe has already been emptied, leaving them with nothing. Thinking quickly, Scalvo decides to rob Miccelli and his inner circle directly, taking whatever valuables they can, including Miccelli’s prized bracelet. This bracelet, as it turns out, holds significant importance—it is engraved with the combination to Miccelli’s office safe.

The situation quickly escalates when the chief of police intervenes. In the chaos that follows, Scalvo and the police chief exchange gunfire, resulting in both men being killed. Cobby is shot in the shoulder during the fray, but he and Rory manage to escape in the armored car, though they are forced to abandon it shortly after. With no clear plan and wounded, they seek refuge at Mr. Kelly’s house.

In their desperation, Rory and Cobby turn to Dechico for help. However, Dechico, now seeing them as liabilities, sends two hitmen, Booch and Colani, to eliminate them. With a manhunt underway for the thieves, Mayor Miccelli becomes increasingly desperate to recover his bracelet, as it holds the key to the combination of his office safe, where illicit money is stashed. He assigns Frank Toomey, a ruthless member of the Special Operations Unit, to retrieve the bracelet at all costs.

Meanwhile, Rory reveals to Cobby the reason for his insistence on the exact amount of $32,480—it’s the money he needs to make amends with his estranged son, a symbol of his attempt to reconcile with the life he lost due to his criminal choices. This gives Rory a more personal stake in the events that unfold.

Just as Booch and Colani arrive to kill Rory and Cobby, the two thieves manage to escape by cutting the gas line in Kelly’s house, causing a massive explosion as they flee with Miccelli’s bracelet in hand. The explosion gives them enough cover to regroup, and Rory brings Cobby to his therapist, Dr. Rivera, taking her as a reluctant hostage. Despite being caught in this criminal mess, Rivera chooses to help the pair and treats Cobby’s gunshot wound. However, their reprieve is short-lived as Rivera calls the police, forcing the trio to escape in her car. 

In an adrenaline-pumping sequence, Rory, Cobby, and Rivera narrowly evade a high-speed police chase, seeking temporary refuge in Mr. Kelly’s empty bar. But the bar isn’t safe for long—Toomey tracks them down and confronts them, taking both Rivera and the bracelet. Despite being surrounded by police, Rory and Cobby manage to escape yet again by cutting the gas line, causing yet another explosion as they flee into the night.

Now armed with the knowledge of Miccelli’s safe combination, Rory and Cobby decide to make a final move. Disguising themselves as firefighters, they infiltrate City Hall and set off the fire alarms, causing a massive evacuation. With the building mostly empty, they make their way to the mayor’s office, where they lock themselves in with the mayor’s counsel, Alan Flynn. Inside Miccelli’s office, they open the safe and discover millions of dollars in illicit cash, money that Miccelli has been hoarding through his corrupt dealings.

Flynn, realizing that the tide is turning, offers to testify against Miccelli. He hands over two hard drives filled with incriminating evidence that could take down the mayor for good. But before Rory and Cobby can escape, the police surround the building and open fire, wounding Cobby once again.

In a desperate negotiation, Dr. Rivera exits the building with Flynn and the evidence, while Rory and Cobby throw the safe out of the window, causing the crowd outside to scramble for the loose cash. In the ensuing chaos, the two criminals make their escape in a fire truck, but their luck soon runs out. Toomey catches up to them, and although Rory and Cobby offer him the hard drives in exchange for their freedom, Toomey takes them into custody anyway.

Meanwhile, Besegai and Dechico, realizing that the situation in Boston has become too dangerous, attempt to flee to Canada. They retreat to a remote cabin and try to cross the border on foot. However, their fate is sealed when they are later found frozen to death in the wilderness, unable to escape the consequences of their criminal lives.

As the dust settles, Miccelli is arrested, and Mark Choi is officially sworn in as the new mayor of Boston. Choi receives the hard drives, which contain account information worth over $100 million in untraceable funds. Realizing the opportunity before him, Choi decides to keep the money for himself, as long as he doesn’t indict Rory and Cobby. With the authorities turning a blind eye, Rory is finally able to reconnect with his son, while Cobby finds solace by visiting Dr. Rivera at her home.

In a chilling mid-credits scene, the story leaves audiences on edge as it is revealed that Knox survived the ordeal, escaping the hospital and leaving in his gown, setting up the possibility of future chaos.