The Instigators is an underwhelming mix of action/drama, it centers around two brothers, Jack (Matt Damon) and Mike (Casey Affleck), who find themselves pulled into a high-stakes heist.
The impressive cast not only includes two Academy Awards winners, Damon and Affleck, but it also an Academy Awards nominee, Jeremy Renner, and a very accomplished actress, Michelle Monaghan, who all really try to do their best with the material and kinda fall flat. The story is relatively straightforward, with a few predictable twists and turns, but it lacks an emotional impact to make it memorable. The chemistry between Damon and Affleck feels somewhat forced, and their performances lack depth. Director Doug Liman’s effort is falling short of its potential with a talented cast and intriguing premise.
With a strong cast and an experienced director, the expectations for The Instigators was high, but it did not keep on its promise. I give it a THUMBS DOWN.