As far as “films shot in Massachusetts” goes, we’ve had the best of times (Challengers) and the worst of times (Madame Web), but now we’ve got the most Boston-by-Hollywood option chambered to blast on to screens later on in the summer. It’s Doug Liman’s The Instigators, which stars Matt Damon and Casey Affleck in a buddy-crime caper about two desperate men who botch a heist. This fits: after all, there’s nothing more classically Boston-centric cinema than a movie about fucking up a robbery.
Anyhow, it’s cool to see Liman get back to making the kind of film he was known for instead of the headline grabbing-stunt flicks he’s pulled (Locked In, the WOAT of COVID movies) and planned (we’re still waiting on that Kavanaugh doc, as well as the planned movie where he and Tom Cruise would go to space), and this trailer that Apple dropped on Thursday morning makes everything look like a real good time. On the other hand, we understand if no one in the Dallas area would want to watch this right now, and we feel your pain. Not really, but we’re trying to.
Peep it:
Here’s a synopsis:
“Rory (Matt Damon) and Cobby (Casey Affleck) are reluctant partners: a desperate father and an ex-con thrown together to rob a corrupt politician’s ill-gained earnings. But when the heist goes wrong, the two find themselves engulfed in a whirlwind of chaos, pursued not only by police but also by backward bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses. Completely out of their depth, they convince Rory’s therapist (Hong Chau) to join their riotous getaway through the city, where they must put aside their differences and work together to evade capture — or worse.”
The Instigators will hit select theaters on August 2 and become available to stream on Apple TV+ on August 9. Make sure you’ve got enough Dunks points on that cracked-ass iPhone to get a free month, khid.