Matt Damon and Casey Affleck team up for Boston heist in Apple's "The Instigators" trailer

Matt Damon and Casey Affleck team up for Boston heist in Apple's "The Instigators" trailer

Matt Damon teams up with a different Affleck than he is most familiar with in a new trailer for the Apple TV Plus original film "The Instigators."

It's Ben who teams up with Damon in this action comedy from director Doug Liman, who previously worked with Damon on "The Bourne Identity" and also directed the action films "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," "Edge of Tomorrow," and the recent "Roadhouse" remake Ben is also a producer on "In the Morning," which Ben will produce. Ben will be producing "The Instigators," which is set in the Affleck family's beloved hometown of Boston.

The trailer showcases dynamic performances by Damon and Affleck, who also co-starred in the film "Oceans." Damon plays Laurie, a financially strapped ex-Marine looking for quick cash to take care of his son. He teams up with professional criminal Coby, played by Affleck, to rob a fundraiser for a corrupt mayor (Ron Perlman).

The comedy arises from a combination of Rory's immaturity and Coby's frustration, with Rory's psychiatrist Donna Rivera (Hong Chau) joining them as a semi-voluntary hostage along the way. Chow and Damon had previously worked together in very different roles in Alexander Payne's "Downsizing," and her calm delivery seems to balance Damon and Affleck's large Boston brogue.

As is often the case in heist movies, things don't go according to plan, and Laurie and Coby end up on the run with Donna, both from the authorities and from the people they stole from.

Director Liman has proven that he knows how to direct exciting action scenes, and he has also shown a flair for comedy in films like "GO" and "Swingers." There is a joke in the trailer, taken directly from THE WIRE/The Wire, about taking notes on a criminal conspiracy, but perhaps the filmmakers are self-aware enough to know where it came from, and the rest of the humor seems more fresh.

In addition to starring, Affleck co-wrote the screenplay with "City on a Hill" creator Chuck MacLean, a former journalist well versed in Boston crime and politics. The supporting cast includes Michael Stuhlbarg, Paul Walter Hauser, Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, and Toby Jones.

"The Instigators" is one of the featured feature films coming to Apple TV Plus and was recently featured in a highlight reel of the streaming service's upcoming programming. before premiering on Apple TV Plus on August 9, and in limited theaters on August 2.

The film will be shown in theaters on August 2 before premiering on Apple TV Plus on August 9.

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