There are projects you get excited about based on the people involved. It could be a combination of actors, premise, and setting that gets you pumped. But no matter how excited you get about a project’s potential; you still have to see if it delivers. Sometimes, the expectations fall flat in the face of the finished product.

That’s the case with The Instigators, a new heist film featuring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck, among others, that opens on Apple TV+ on Friday. I was excited about the cast, and I was excited about the premise. We saw director Doug Liman deliver a fun streaming film in Road House earlier this year, too. All that adds up to potential.

Unfortunately, what we get doesn’t match the hype.

In the film, we meet Rory (Damon), a former soldier who isn’t satisfied with his life. He’s meeting with a therapist (Hong Chau) and trying to get on track. But he’s given himself a year to feel better or end it all, and that deadline is approaching.

We then meet Cobby (Affleck), an ex-con with a drinking issue and few prospects. He is trying to get his life together, but it doesn’t seem to be going well. Cobby gets a call and shows up at an abandoned building. Rory got the same call. There, they meet Mr. Besegai (Michael Stuhlbarg), a gangster with a plan for the perfect heist. He taps Cobby and Rory—along with Scalvo (Jack Harlow)—to get it done.

It’s supposed to be an easy job but it’s not. It takes Cobby and Rory on a wild ride that just might change their outlook and prospects on life.

This film is set in Boston, so the accents are in full effect. We’ve seen that setting—and this type of story—work for Damon and Affleck in the past. Affleck co-wrote the script with Chuck MacLean and the cast also includes Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, and Ron Perlman, among others. It’s all the elements needed for success.

But the finished product is dull. The story is dull. The comedy rarely hits. The characters are a mess. The whole film feels forced and overly long, despite being just about 100 minutes. Even Affleck and Damon feel like they are going through the motions.

Worse yet, several story threads pick up from time-to-time and just sort of disappear. That might make the experience worse if you were inclined to care about the characters or story in the first place. I was amused at times, but mostly bored and disappointed.

You might be tempted to try this film based on the talent involved but it ends up a frustrating mess. There’s little that feels compelling or original. It’s one you can safely skip.

The Instigators streams Friday on Apple TV+.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.