Studio 8

The Instigators (2024): Wicked Average

Posted on by Jack Drees

“The Instigators” is directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Jumper) and stars Matt Damon (The Martian, Good Will Hunting), Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea, Gone Baby Gone), Hong Chau (Kinds of Kindness, The Menu), Michael Stuhlbarg (Call Me by Your Name, The Shape of Water), Paul Walter Hauser (Cobra Kai, Inside Out 2) Ving Rhames (The Garfield Movie, Mission: Impossible), Alfred Molina (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Spider-Man 2), Toby Jones (Frost/Nixon, W), Jack Harlow (White Men Can’t Jump), and Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Pinocchio). This film is about two men who go on the run with a therapist after a heist does not go as planned.

As someone who has lived in Massachusetts all his life, it should not come as a surprise that I have a few Boston-based movies under my belt. Movies like “The Departed,” “Good Will Hunting,” “Spotlight,” “Ted,” “Patriots Day,” “Stronger…” Granted I still have not seen everything like “Mystic River,” “Black Mass,” “Gone Baby Gone…” Still waiting to get around to those. But as someone from this area, I feel it is my duty to check out a Boston-based film when possible, which is one reason why I saw “The Instigators” recently.

Sadly though, I cannot say I was that excited for this movie. The trailer failed to impress me, and I did not think this movie was going to do that well.

There are times where I almost forgot I had to review this movie, which is really weird when you consider my experience with it. This is a true story… When I saw this film on opening Thursday night, I am not making this up, my theater was decked to the brim with “The Instigators” posters. If this were my bedroom, you would think I have an unhealthy obsession with this movie. That should probably give you some indication as to how my experience went down.

For the record, I do not despise “The Instigators,” but I also cannot say it is worth your time either. This is one of those movies that barely kept me awake as it went. Does it have a good pace to it? Sure. Do I like the cast in the movie? Sure. Do I think the movie has some clever moments? Sure. But everything about the overall experience of the film just screams middle of the road. There is nothing outright amazing about “The Instigators,” especially when compared to other Boston titles like “The Departed.” If I was in a Boston mood and I wanted to truly pay attention to every single detail on screen, I would simply turn on “The Departed.” But as for “The Instigators,” the situation in which I most likely see myself watching this movie again in the future would probably be when I just need some background noise. Part of me wants to say that I could maybe catch the movie on cable and just leave it on, but I highly doubt that Apple is going to allow that to happen. I do not think they are in that kind of business.

Now as someone who resides on the North Shore of the Bay State, I do fit into some local stereotypes. I do enjoy Dunkin’, I buy a ticket to a ballgame at Fenway, I have used the term “Storrowed” every once in a while, and I have even had the privilege of seeing a couple Boston Marathons in person. When I was in college the Boston Marathon route went right by my campus, so I took advantage of my commuter parking pass and got to see the event play out a couple times. Heck, I went to see this movie IN THE ONLY THEATER TECHNICALLY IN BOSTON, not any of its suburbs, selling tickets for it! But I have to be real with you, as much as I try, to varying successes and failures, to maintain my local roots, I have to admit this movie does a good job linking itself to the Greater Boston culture. When I say this however, I should also say, the movie almost does… TOO GOOD of a job. Sometimes the outcome this movie provides when it comes to its Boston tributes, if you can call them that, is almost pornographic. Whether it means Alfred Molina randomly showing up with Dunkin’, getting Rob Gronkowski of all people to make a rather gratuitous cameo, or having Hong Chau’s character mention she’s from Lynn during a chase and having the other characters say “Lynn Lynn the City of sin” just because. Though I must admit, there is a scene in the movie where we see a protest outside of Boston City Hall and I almost burst out laughing as soon as I saw a sign that read “FIX THE MBTA!”.

It is almost as if the crew behind this movie decided to ingrain themselves so heavily in Boston culture to the point where they sort of built a decent atmosphere for the film, but did not have the brains on how to make the film as entertaining as can be. Because as I look back at this film, I find to be uneventful, unmemorable, and minimally engaging. I cannot say I hate any of the characters on screen, but I am not going to remember their names in six months.

That said, this film is led by Matt Damon and Casey Affleck, and the two, to my lack of surprise, have decent chemistry in their roles. They both do a good job as two guys from Quincy, and even though I admit their journeys in this film fall into some pits of predictability, I enjoyed seeing their motivations play out and their personalities come to life. But when you have these two leading a movie like this, I kind of expect something more from the script or the plot, or even the direction.

Heck, this movie is directed by Doug Liman, whose resume partially includes “The Bourne Identity” and “Edge of Tomorrow,” which like those movies or not, you would probably agree with me when I say they look pretty cinematic. This movie honestly looks like it was made for television between its lighting that appears as if the crew forgot to brighten the bulb a tad occasionally. Yet at other times, it has some unusual camera tricks that try to appear cinematic, but only manage to feel jarring the longer I gaze my eyes upon them.

If I had to pick a performance in the film that stood out to me the most, it would probably be Ron Perlman as Mayor Miccelli. At a glance, Perlman very much looks the part of a politician. He has this look to him that like some politicians, you question yourself in the back of your mind on whether or not to trust him. His presence in the film made for some good scenes, especially towards the end.

And you know what? This is a poetic transition. If I had anything else to say that is positive about the film, I must admit, I was not 100% thrilled with all that it had to offer, but there are several scenes where you can easily be entertained by these characters. The entire cast oozes charisma, even if they are playing characters whose names you will probably erase from your memory after leaving the theater. Is part of it because some of the actors in the cast are recognizable? Perhaps. Why do you think I am going about this review referring to the actors names but not acknowledging their respective characters? But like some of their previous work, those recognizable actors play their parts well here. However, for me, this film was missing something. If anything the film is almost too stereotypical and lacking in any oomph that will make audiences remember it for years to come.

In the end, “The Instigators” is a somewhat entertaining movie, but it is not one that had me engaged the entire time. As the heist goes down, I am interested in what is going on. But I cannot say there are any standout moments in this film that will cement it as one of my favorites of the year. Does everyone in the cast do a good job? Again, sure. But they are not Oscar-worthy. This movie is on Apple TV+, and I can frankly see why. I have to be real, their record has not been working for me. Other than “CODA,” which is amazing, I cannot say I have seen one movie from Apple yet, and I include “Killers of the Flower Moon” in this thought, that has totally floored me. If you were planning on watching “The Instigators,” I am here to tell you your time will not be completely wasted, but you can probably use that time to do other things that would be more exciting. I am going to give “The Instigators” a 5/10.

“The Instigators” is now playing in select theaters and is available on Apple TV+ for all subscribers.

Thanks for reading this review! If you want to see more reviews like this, I have more coming! Stay tuned for my thoughts on “Sing Sing,” “Borderlands,” “Skincare,” “My Old Ass,” “Reagan,” and “It Ends with Us.” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “The Instigators?” What did you think about it? Or, since I clearly have no faith in their service, what is something you recommend on Apple TV+? Yes, I know they’ve got shows like “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “For All Mankind,” but I want to specifically ask if there are any movies from them that you enjoyed. Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

Hypnotic (2023): Ben Affleck Leads a Rather Forgettable, Inception-Like Sci-fi Thriller

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Hypnotic” is directed by Robert Rodriguez (Alita: Battle Angel, Desperado) and stars Ben Affleck (Air, Argo), Alice Braga (City of God, Lower City), J.D. Pardo (F9: The Fast Saga, Mayans: M.C.), Hala Finley (Man with a Plan, We Can be Heroes), Dayo Okeniyi (The Hunger Games, Terminator Genisys), Jeff Fahey (The Marshal, Lost), Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children, The Bad News Bears), and William Fichtner (Prison Break, Mom). This film is about a detective who investigates a cause behind why his daughter had been abducted.

As someone who lives near Boston, I feel like going to a Ben Affleck film, whether he is in front of or behind the camera, is like going to a Red Sox game. It is not always the first thing that comes to mind, but I end up rooting for him upon entering the venue because of my roots. I do not follow sports, but I am someone who is well aware of the Red Sox’s poor season. The quality of their recent record is a far cry from Affleck’s, who is hot right now because of his heavy involvement with “Air,” which stands as one of my favorite scripts of the year. Despite such praise, going to “Hypnotic” encapsulates the feeling of going to a Red Sox game and having a knowledge of their below par record. This film appears to have been barely marketed, but I did catch some of it as it was advertised on Pluto TV numerous times.

The concept of the film intrigues me, especially as someone who enjoys high concept science fiction. As for the execution, that leaves a bit to be desired.

I am willing to bet to that if you talked to me in a year from now, I almost would not remember a single thing about this movie. All I could tell you about it is that Ben Affleck is in it, it looks trippy, and that is it. This is easily one of the most forgettable science fiction films I have ever seen. It is by no means an offensively bad movie, but when it comes to flair or overall enjoyability, this movie lacks both those things. There seems to be a good movie in “Hypnotic” somewhere, but I could not find it. Robert Rodriguez is not a terrible filmmaker. In fact, I very much enjoyed his recent blockbuster “Alita: Battle Angel,” which I contend is one of the greatest visual spectacles of the past five years. “Hypnotic” is a far cry from “Alita.”

Much like “Alita,” “Hypnotic” is easy on the eyes, but one thing I enjoyed about “Alita” that this film managed to do less effectively, is make me feel like I was not in my own world. Granted, “Hypnotic” is much more based in reality, with some twists of course.

The main thing driving this story and its plot is mind control, we see various characters use mind control to move things along. I think some of the ways this is utilized happen to make for clever moments. While this movie may lack the oomph that many others in its genre possess, there are inklings of goodness at times.

In addition to the sick visual effects that make the film as eye-popping as it is, my eyes were also occasionally wowed with some of the film’s shots and framing. It does not reinvent the wheel, but there are a select few shots where the framing choices make the visual effects that much more… hypnotic.

If I had to make a comparison, “Hypnotic” feels like “Inception” with a pinch of “Blade Runner.” The film has a lot to do with the mind, albeit not so much about dreams. But the main character of Danny Rourke almost feels like a Rick Deckard type. After all, while the films explore this idea in different manners, both reminisce over a particular happening in their mind that stands out during the film. For Deckard, it is as simple as a unicorn. For Rourke, it is a bit more complex because much of the movie is about his connection to his daughter. Whether they’re real or artificial, these memories drive the characters throughout the film. In fact, there are a couple other “Inception” comparisons that can be addressed. There are some trippy visuals. The color grading looks similar. The protagonist’s offspring happens to be a driving force of the film. If anything, “Hypnotic” reminded me of the 2021 film “Reminiscence,” because that was another film that gave me “Inception” or Christopher Nolan vibes throughout, even though he never had a hand in the film. Although sibling Jonathan Nolan produced it, and his wife, Lisa Joy, directed it.

And much like “Reminiscence,” “Hypnotic” is a concept that works on paper, but they could not figure out how to translate it to the frame. I think there are inklings of lore that work. There are certain action sequences that play out well. The actors seem to barely go above the degree of sleepwalking throughout the picture. I am willing to bet that the only factor behind me potentially liking this movie is if someone mind controlled me into doing so. Because right now, I am not bagging what this movie is raking.

“Hypnotic” is exactly as the title suggests, hypnotic. But not in the way Robert Rodriguez and crew would want the viewer to think. Because while there may not have been an object shaking back and forth, my brain kept reminding me that I must have been getting very sleepy. I did not fall asleep during this movie. In fact, throughout my years of moviegoing, I have yet to fall asleep to a movie in the theater. But I have a feeling that if I watched this film on a late night at home, there is a good chance that I would have paused the movie halfway through and have to pick up the rest of it the next day. It is not a chore to watch, but it is a chore to fully digest and appreciate. If you want a good Ben Affleck project to watch from this year, go watch “Air.” Heck, I have not seen “The Flash” yet, which Ben Affleck is also in, but I am going to assume that it is better than this.

In the end, “Hypnotic” is one of Ben Affleck’s inferior outings in his career and a less than stellar day at the office for Robert Rodriguez. Would I watch “Hypnotic” again? I do not know at this point. Part of me wants to give it another shot to see if I could appreciate it more. There are things I liked in it, but the movie still kind of rubbed me the wrong way the more I think about it. The idea is great, the unveiling of it is not. I am going to give “Hypnotic” a 4/10.

“Hypnotic” is now playing in theaters everywhere. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! Pretty soon I will be sharing my reviews for “The Machine,” “The Blackening,” “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” and “The Flash.” Stay tuned! If you want to see this and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Hypnotic?” What did you think about it? Or, what is a movie you saw that is still on your mind, but have seemed to mostly forgotten about after it finished? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!