Summary

Argylle is an entertaining spy film with exciting action scenes and near-constant twists. The film prioritizes action and twists over character development, resulting in too many one-dimensional characters. Argylle is not as sharp or inventive as Vaughn’s previous work, but still provides a fun movie experience.

Director Matthew Vaughn returns with an over-the-top riff on spy films in Argylle, which honors the long-standing genre while still poking fun at it. Vaughn is no stranger to the genre, having directed three movies in the Kingsman franchise, all of which are based on the comic series he co-created with Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. However, the twists and turns in Argylle are dialed up to eleven, which makes it both a rip-roaring good time and a little exhausting. Argylle might not be Vaughn’s sharpest work, but its exciting action scenes and near-constant twists will keep viewers plenty entertained.

Argylle is an action thriller by director Matthew Vaughn. The movie centers on an introverted novelist who is thrown into the real world of espionage after the plot of her most recent spy thriller parallels the crimes of an underground syndicate. ProsArgylle can be a fun spoof on the spy genre Bryce Dallas Howard & Sam Rockwell carry the film ConsArgylle has too many twists and turns to keep count The supporting characters are one-dimensional

On its surface, Argylle seems to have a relatively simple plot — anxiety-prone writer Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) lives a quiet life writing her series of spy novels about Agent Argylle (Henry Cavill), which uncannily mirror real events in the espionage world. When her latest novel gets too close, Elly is pursued by Ritter (Bryan Cranston), a man mirroring the evil villain of her novels. She’s rescued by Aidan (Sam Rockwell), who takes her to meet Alfred Soloman (Samuel L. Jackson), and the truth about the real Agent Argylle is revealed.

Argylle Is More Concerned With Action & Twists Than Its Characters
Matthew Vaughn’s Filmmaking Style Is Present In Argylle

From there, Argylle gets more and more complicated, with multiple twists and turns — so many that it may become hard to follow. With a script by Jason Fuchs, who wrote 2015’s Pan and helped craft the story of 2017’s Wonder Woman, Argylle starts off relatively strong, establishing the character of Elly Conway and the world she’s created in her books.

However, once the first big twist is unveiled, Fuchs’ script delivers more and more at an increasingly break-neck speed, to the point that all the main characters become little more than confused messes of stock spy archetypes. By the third act, the movie abandons character development entirely and becomes more concerned with stylistic action scenes, which makes it difficult to know who the characters are in the wake of the twists and turns, let alone care about them.

Fuchs’ Argylle script is clever for cleverness’s sake, and Vaughn’s direction is focused more on slick style and energetic action scenes.

That’s not to say Howard and Rockwell aren’t charming as Elly and Aidan, because they do have some compelling moments. The movie rests almost entirely on their shoulders, and they do their best to sell the premise, with all its silliness, and are, up to a point, successful in pulling off Argylle’s bombastic elements. The rest of the cast are criminally underserved, not getting much to do beyond playing one-dimensional characters. Fuchs’ Argylle script is clever for cleverness’s sake, and Vaughn’s direction is focused more on slick style and energetic action scenes, creating a fun, but ultimately hollow movie experience.

Despite Its Flaws, Argylle Is An Entertaining Spy Movie
But it’s not Matthew Vaughn’s most nimble take on the genre

There is enjoyment to be had in Argylle, which delivers a rollicking good time despite the story’s flaws. It’ll likely be more fun for audiences who particularly enjoy Vaughn’s style of filmmaking and quasi-serious spoofs on the spy genre, but Argylle is not nearly as sharp, clever or inventive as Kingsman: The Secret Service. Still, it’s enjoyable enough to maintain engagement for the entirety of the two-hour-plus runtime, though it might’ve been better served with fewer twists and tighter pacing.

Related Where To Watch Argylle: Showtimes & Streaming Status Henry Cavill stars in Matthew Vaughn’s new action spy movie, and there are different options for where to watch Argylle in theaters or on streaming.

With a star-studded cast and a talent like Vaughn behind the camera, Argylle seemed to have a lot of potential, but the movie doesn’t quite deliver. Sure, there’s plenty of spy genre spoofing, but it’s more general and less direct. And there are plenty of major twists and turns audiences may or may not see coming, but whether those twists are actually satisfying will be left up to the individual viewer. Argylle is worth checking out for those interested, but don’t expect it to be as good as Kingsman: The Secret Service, though it’s certainly better than The King’s Man.

Argylle Release Date February 2, 2024 Director Matthew Vaughn Cast Henry Cavill , Ariana DeBose , Sofia Boutella , Catherine O’Hara , Bryce Dallas Howard , John Cena , Dua Lipa , Samuel L. Jackson , Sam Rockwell , Bryan Cranston , Rob Delaney Runtime 135 Minutes Writers Jason Fuchs Studio(s) Apple , Cloudy Productions , Marv Studios Distributor(s) Universal Pictures , Apple