Summary
Matt Damon’s new movieThe Instigatorshas an opportunity to redeem one of the worst-rated movies of his career from 2017. Damon stars inThe Instigatorswith Casey Affleck, who he notably appeared onscreen with inGood Will Hunting. He and Affleck also co-wrote the 2002 adventure dramaGerrywith Gus Van Sant and starred in that as well. Outside of their collaboration ontheOcean’strilogy,Affleck and Damon also both starred in two Christopher Nolan moviesdespite not appearing onscreen together in either,Interstellar(2014) andOppenheimer(2023).The Instigatorsreleases on Apple TV+ on Aug 06, 2025.
Similar to the Ocean’s movies,The Instigatorsis listed as a true heist thriller with elements of comedy. Directed by Doug Liman,The Instigatorsalso marks the first time that Damon has worked with the acclaimed director sinceThe Bourne Identityin 2002. The film was released in select theaters on July 02, 2025, but will be released exclusively on Apple TV+ soon afterward. Althoughearly reviews ofThe Instigatorshave been mixed, the film still has time to recover with a positive audience score or high viewership on Apple TV+. Given the star power of Damon and the Boston-centric setting,The Instigatorsshould be popular on the streaming platform.
Matt Damon & Hong Chau Reunite In The Instigators, 7 Years After Downsizing
Downsizing received a critic score of just 47% on Rotten Tomatoes
Downsizingwas a rare miss for Alexander Payne, whose other films such asThe Holdovers,Nebraska,The Descendants, andSidewayshave been widely praised. The film starred Damon and Hong Chau in their first onscreen appearance together. Damon and Chau will also be reunited in The Instigators, with Chau playing the role of a psychologist to Affleck and Damon’s aloof characters.Downsizingwas certainly a low point in both actors’ recent filmographies and isthe lowest-rated movie in Damon’s recent film career, earning a critic score of just 47% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Instigatorswill also feature appearances fromMichael Stuhlbarg, Ron Pearlman, Ving Rhames, ex-NFL player Rob Gronkowski, and rapper Jack Harlow. The film certainly has the makeup to be a streaming hit for Apple, Damon, and Affleck, especially with the heavy lean into the Boston-centric setting which both Damon and Affleck have been celebrated for throughout their careers. Damon’sGood Will HuntingandThe Departedare easily two of his most memorable roles while Affleck’sManchester by the SeaandGone Baby Gonealso take place in and around the Greater Boston region.
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Why Critics Were Divided & Audiences Strongly Disliked Downsizing
It has an abysmal Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 25%
On paper,Downsizingshould have been a critical hit, which is what many critics and viewers expected it to be. The film featured other star actors such as Kristen Wiig and Christoph Waltz, two fan favorites who surely drew attention to the project.Downsizing’s47% Rotten Tomatoes score is the lowest-rated movie of Payne’s directing career. By comparison,The Holdoversreceived a near-perfect 97% and earned Da’Vine Joy Randolph a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Most of Payne’s directorial efforts have been widely praised by critics, which makes the critical failure ofDownsizingsomewhat difficult to believe.
Many critics foundDownsizingto be an unfocused and unbalanced mix of genresthat ultimately felt bland and unrewarding in the end. Sheila O’Malley ofRogerEbert.comwrote in her 1.5-star review, “Very quickly devolves into a bland story about a nondescript khaki-wearing guy who learns to care about the less-fortunate.” Andrew Lapin ofNPRnoted, “It’s the rare movie that seems to execute every part of its concept absolutely wrong; a narrative, tonal, visual and sociopolitical fiasco the likes of which haven’t been seen in many moons.” Mick LaSalle ofThe San Francisco Chroniclewrote, “By the end, “Downsizing” is one of those great ideas that should have just stayed an idea.”
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Will The Instigators Be Better Than Downsizing?
The Instigators currently has an RT score of 40%
It’s difficult to predict whetherThe Instigatorswill be better thanDownsizing, especially becauseboth seem to have all their ducks in a row when it comes to a solid cast, an intriguing premise, and an established director. From the trailers alone,The Instigatorslooks to be a good movie or at the very least a fun ride, but then again, there were high hopes and expectations forDownsizing, which ended up majorly disappointing. It’s hard to say confidently at this point, even though Damon and Affleck in a Boston movie should be a safe bet.The Instigators’current 40% Rotten Tomatoes score, however, already is cause for concern.
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The Instigators
Cast
The Instigators revolves around the complex dynamics of a group of individuals who find themselves entangled in a web of intrigue and deception. As alliances are formed and trust is broken, the true motives of each character are slowly revealed, leading to a crescendo of tension and suspense.
