Summary

• Matt Damon and Casey Affleck reunite for a crime thriller in The Instigators directed by Doug Liman.
• The star-studded cast includes Hong Chau, Paul Walter Hauser, and Ving Rhames.
• The Instigators marks the latest onscreen team-up between Damon and Affleck since Good Will Hunting in 1997.

The Instigators images reveal the first look at Matt Damon and Casey Affleck's return to Boston. Directed by Doug Liman, fresh off the new Road House, the upcoming crime thriller follows two thieves who go on the run after a failed robbery and end up dragging one of their therapists along with them. Other than Damon and Affleck, the latter of whom also co-wrote the film with Chuck Maclean, the star-studded cast includes Hong Chau, Paul Walter Hauser, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jack Harlow, Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, and Ron Perlman.

Today, the first look at Damon and Affleck's return to their Boston roots in the upcoming heist movie, The Instigators, was revealed via Entertainment Weekly. Check out the first-look photos below:

The first two photos show Damon and Affleck in character, with the second image also including Chau as their therapist in the car with them. The third and final photo shows Damon and Affleck on set discussing the script with Liman.

The Instigators Marks Multiple Reunions

Matt Damon, The Afflecks, & Doug Liman

Though Damon is better known for collaborations with his brother Ben, The Instigators marks the latest onscreen team-up between Damon and Casey Affleck, who first starred together in the Boston-set Good Will Hunting in 1997. Over the years, the two have also starred together in Gerry, the Ocean's trilogy, Interstellar, and Oppenheimer. The upcoming crime thriller does not only bring the two Bostonians back together, but it also reunites Damon with Liman for the first time since The Bourne Identity in 2002.

The Instigators is the latest film from Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's production company, Artists Equity.

Affleck, who co-wrote the film, says The Instigators is a buddy action comedy inspired by the likes of Midnight Run and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. According to the official synopsis, the film follows a distressed father, Rory, who reluctantly joins forces with a former convict, Cobby, to rob a corrupt politician. As expected, the heist goes horribly wrong, and the mismatched duo finds themselves in a frenzy of disorder, pursued not only by the police, but backward bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses. During their chaotic escape, they somehow persuade Rory's therapist to join them.

As a Boston-set heist flick, The Instigators bears some resemblance to Ben Affleck's 2010 film The Town.

The Instigators also marks Affleck's latest role since the sexual harassment allegations levied against him, which attracted much scrutiny in 2017 when he won an Academy Award for Manchester by the Sea. As opposed to many of his recent roles since then – such as The World to Come, Every Breath You Take, and Dreamin' Wild – The Instigators features Affleck in a lead role and has hopes of becoming a mainstream success. Whether the actor's involvement in the movie is a hindrance remains to be seen.

The Instigators releases in select theaters on August 2 before streaming on Apple TV+ on August 9.

Source: EW