Argylle is Matthew Vaughn’s latest film and stars the likes of Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’ Hara, Sofia Boutella, John Cena, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, and Samuel L. Jackson. The film centers on a reclusive author who is drawn into the world of spies and espionage after she realizes that her latest novel mirrors real-world events.
The movie carries a very free and exciting energy throughout that had me feeling somewhat entertained. It reminded me of last year’s The Lost City, starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum. While not quite as good, it had the same taste of adventure.
Bryce Dallas Howard plays the reclusive author who is suddenly pulled into this world of danger, and she is one of the best aspects of Argylle. Sam Rockwell plays the super spy trying to help protect Howard’s character, and get to the bottom of this disaster she is now a part of. He is by far the best character in this film, and one of the most likable and charismatic actors in the world. Disappointingly so, Henry Cavill has very limited screen time in the film (less than ten minutes) as he is the fictional protagonist named Argylle who is only shown a few times throughout the film.
Argylle starts off promising, but as the story unfolds it becomes increasingly hard to follow. It feels very cluttered as a lot of things are happening at once. That is due to a weak script that wastes very talented actors with thankless roles, namely Ariana DeBose and Samuel L. Jackson. The movie has a lot of twists and turns that I found to be passable given the set-up. Some of them I found myself anticipating, but others were slightly better. The main twist worked very well for me but might be a turnoff to some audience members.
However, the movie’s action sequences were amazing. They were hyper stylized and a blast to watch. My favorite action scene is the train sequence. Of course with Matthew Vaughn, who helmed the Kingsman movies, that should be of no surprise. The CGI despite possible overuse is really good, as are the visual effects.
As I previously mentioned though, the movie is too convoluted and lengthy in runtime. I would still recommend for you to see it if you’re interested, because it is such a fun movie, and I think it will be enough to satisfy those eager to watch it.
If you do decide to watch Argylle, be sure to stay for the post credits scene as there are some interesting developments in there for the future of Director Matthew Vaughn’s filmography.
