The Instigators

"Works best in the downtime, when there’s wry, slightly combative banter between the two antiheroes."

"Unremarkable but consistently amusing."

"No one does these kinds of films anymore. It’s scratching a much-needed niche itch."

"Some passable entertainment here but there’s not much adrenaline."

"An amusing throwback to classic heist pictures, buddy comedies and tales of urban malfeasance."

"Like a well-executed heist, the film knows how to get in and get out with minimal fuss."

"(It) isn’t exactly revolutionary, but is a good time regardless."

"Liman, Affleck and Damon move with confidence... settling into a relaxed groove of comic bickering."

"Attempts to straddle the three genres and half-asses all of them."

"The Instigators needed downtrodden charm and that’s exactly what it’s missing."

"Nothing quite clicks in this tale of charming low-life thieves."

"Underwritten, dreary, tedious, inert, and without any stakes."

"There are laughs and clever bits of business... but there’s never a reason to care."

"There’s a difference between understated and anaemic."

"Lacklustre and slow even in its supposedly hi-octane chase sequences."

"The Instigators isn’t that bad, but it’s lazy, low-stakes stuff."

"Pastes bits of plot into a disappointing mess."

"Make way for the other Damon/Affleck bromance."

"A comedy heist thriller... that doesn’t thrill, isn’t especially funny, and come to think of it, doesn’t contain much of a heist."