Review | Argylle (2024) - Future of the Force

“With great performances, a killer soundtrack, and some genuinely great laughs, Argylle sets the bar for 2024 movie fun high.”

The Greater The Spy, The Bigger The Lie. Never has a movie’s tagline been so spot on. Matthew Vaughn’s spy comedy Argylle is something that needs to be seen to be believed. Featuring a cast that includes Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, John Cena, and Samuel L. Jackson, the film is off the charts. Who is Agent Argylle? We can’t tell you. What are the secrets of the film? We can’t say. What can we tell you about the film? Not very much without straying into spoiler territory.

*L to R: Dua Lipa and Henry Cavill in ARGYLLE, directed by Matthew Vaughn*

What we can say is, that if you’re a fan of Matthew Vaughn and his work, you’ll have a great time. If you’re not, you’ll have a great time. And for once, the film hasn’t been spoiled by the trailers. In a way, the film is similar to The Lost City and its premise. But comparing the two films doesn’t do justice to Matthew Vaughn’s latest movie. It pulls off the trick of what you think you know with what will actually happen. And the results make for a film that sets the benchmark for movie fun in 2024 extremely high.

THE PREMISE

Elly Conway, an introverted spy novelist who seldom leaves her home, is drawn into the real world of espionage when the plots of her books, featuring a fictional secret agent named Argylle, get a little too close to the activities of a sinister underground syndicate. When Aidan, an undercover spy, shows up to save her from being kidnapped or killed, Elly and her beloved cat Alfie are plunged into a covert world where nothing and no one are what they seem, including to the discovery that Agent Argylle, in fact, exists for real.

THE CAST

Despite what the posters tell you, the film’s lead isn’t actually Henry Cavill as first thought. Sure, Cavill appears throughout the film but after the opening, his appearances are sporadically scattered during proceedings. Cavill was considered for the role of James Bond (he still may be on the shortlist), but here, he shows the world that he could easily slip into 007’s tuxedo. Cavill is on top form here, all charm and grace but with a lethal sense of action, adventure and violence. And he, like the entire cast looks to be having complete, unadulterated fun.

*Henry Cavill is Agent Argylle in ARGYLLE, directed by Matthew Vaughn*

With a film packed full to the brim with top-quality talent, there are quite a few cast members that don’t get that long in proceedings. Dua Lipa as LaGrange, Ariana DeBose as Keira, John Cena as Wyatt, and Sofia Boutella as Saba Al-Badr do get screentime but they are not front and center as we were made to believe. Ariana DeBose and Sofia Boutella in particular get shortchanged out of them all. The pair appear and then disappear from the movie pretty quickly. Dua Lipa does make for a fascinating and welcome femme fatale during the movie’s opening before she too departs proceedings.

JOHN CENA AND SAMUEL L. JACKSON

John Cena as Wyatt gets a fair amount of screen time. And once again, Cena shows he does possess some terrific comic timing. Of course, he gets to show his muscles and chiselled physique but he also makes us laugh at some of what he comes out with. Again, like Cavill, he appears at the beginning and then appears sporadically throughout the rest of the movie. But when he appears, we expect and sometimes do get some fireworks. And he and Cavill play off each other brilliantly.

Samuel L. Jackson appears around the midway point. And in true style, we are hooked on him the second he appears. As Alfred Solomon, a mysterious character, Jackson doesn’t really have a whole lot to do. But when he appears and when he speaks, we pay attention. In anyone else’s hands, the role would usually see us shrug our shoulders and not really be that concerned. But as it’s Samuel L. Jackson, he has us in the palm of his hand, making us be interested in him and what he has to say or do. And he too is wonderful in a limited performance. And becomes one character we really look forward to seeing again in a sequel.

*Samuel L. Jackson in ARGYLLE, directed by Matthew Vaughn*

CHIP THE CAT

The actual cat of director Matthew Vaughn and his wife, Claudia Schiffer, Chip, gets his screen debut in the role of Alfie, Elly’s cat. What is surprising is, he is actually someone who does play an integral part in the film. As Alfie, Chip gets a decent amount of screen time, and as seen in the trailer, gets to have his own comedic (albeit aided by CGI) scene that has us laughing out loud.

BRYAN CRANSTON AND CATHERINE O’HARA

Bryan Cranston plays the villainous role of Ritter in the film. And he looks to be having a whale of a time in the role. As can be expected, Ritter is nasty, evil, slimy but utterly mesmerising. The main crux of the story is the search for a hard drive that could expose Ritter and his organisation to the world. And Ritter will do all he can to get his devious hands on it. And, like Blofeld from the Bond movies, he doesn’t tolerate failure, as one employee ( a neat little cameo from Rob Delaney) finds out to his cost. Cranston embraces his role and revels in bringing Ritter to life.

Catherine O’Hara as Ruth, Elly’s mother is also in on the fun. Whether it be criticizing her daughter’s decision to end her new book on a cliffhanger, or listening to her daughter’s desperate pleas on the phone and concluding she’s on drugs, Ruth is quite the comic foil. And Catherine O’Hara incorporates the role with such relish, we find ourselves smiling when she appears on the screen. An accomplished performance from an accomplished actress.

*Catherine O’Hara in ARGYLLE, directed by Matthew Vaughn*

BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD AND SAM ROCKWELL

But it is the pairing of Bryce Dallas Howard as Elly and Sam Rockwell as Aiden that leads the film virtually throughout. They are the main characters, something we didn’t guess at from the trailers. Bryce Dallas Howard gives a tour-de-force as Elly. From being an introverted novelist, to begin with, to what she becomes, the actress has us held in raptures in a performance that will blow the audience away. Instead of being annoying with her whimpers and complaints, we find ourselves drawn to her throughout. And her comedic timing is up there with the best. You’ll never look at her in the same way again.

Sam Rockwell is equally as good and hilarious as Aiden. From the second we first meet him, he has us on edge. But after he proves himself an adept action hero during the train fight, which is hilariously funny as well as violent, Rockwell has us hooked. The coolness he has when under fire, being chased, or under the threat of death, his mask never slips. And his comic timing has us in stitches at times. The Oscar-winning actor looks to be having the time of his life here. Rockwell lets his hair down and just plays along brilliantly, dropping one-liners and hilarious quips at will. He also makes for a decent action hero in his own right.

*Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell in ARGYLLE, directed by Matthew Vaughn*

THE DIRECTING

What can you say about Matthew Vaughn and his directorial style that hasn’t already been said? Not much. Any fan of the Kingsman franchise will know what to expect. But perhaps Vaughn has outdone himself this time. He directs his cast to superb effect, his shots are mesmerising, the color palette he so often uses is on show here once more and he directs with such a flair that before the film even starts, we know we are in safe hands. The film is bright, so tonally brilliant that we find ourselves watching every centimetre of the screen. And of course, Vaughn can’t help himself with some sequences that will have us cheering and laughing at the same time. Plus he has created at least two sequences that challenge the best ones he pulled off in the original Kingsman movie. And that is a very rare feat.

*Director Matthew Vaughn with Chip the cat (playing Alfie) on the set of ARGYLLE*

THE SCREENPLAY

The script by Jason Fuchs, who is also one of four producers on the film, is inspired. Fuchs has taken a basic premise, something that we’ve seen before, and given it such a brilliant twist and updating, he has created something that sticks with us long after the end credits have rolled. Of course, the film is rated for family audiences but Fuchs has pushed the envelope of the rating to its limits. Some of the violence we see is nasty, some of it has us gasping at how they’ve got away with it with such a strict age rating. But Fuchs has written something that removes the language and extreme violence from the Kingsman franchise and left us with something everyone can enjoy. And his screenplay doesn’t dumb itself down for the audience, actually engaging with them throughout.

THE MUSIC

As we’ve come to expect in a Matthew Vaughn movie, the music, both the score and the music tracks presented to us throughout, are quite simply fantastic. Lorne Balfe has once again excelled himself by composing an absolutely killer score for the movie. The film contains several uses of The Beatles’ recent final record, Now And Then. Balfe adapts this and encompasses it into his score. It is something that complements the movie perfectly. Balfe and the music that is used in the film never put even a single foot wrong, leaving us loving every note, every chord we hear.

*Bryce Dallas Howard is Elly Conway in ARGYLLE, directed by Matthew Vaughn*

VERDICT

With great performances, a killer soundtrack, and some genuinely great laughs, Argylle sets the bar for 2024 movie fun high. To be honest, every other release that’s due this year will find it hard-pressed to top the film for sheer enjoyment. The film is an almost perfect mix of action, violence, thrills and spills, and wonderful comedy. There are a few niggles along the way but they are so minor that we overlook them almost instantly. With the added bonus of being something different to what we expected, the film also gives the audience a surprise. It also makes for entertaining viewing that is worth the admission price.

*(from left) Aidan (Sam Rockwell) and Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) in Argylle, directed by Matthew Vaughn.*

MID-CREDITS

Don’t leave your seat when the end credits start, there is a mid-credits stinger to be had. From the second it appears, we are given a knowing laugh or two. And it also promises us more to come. Something we find ourselves looking forward to. There are some in-jokes to be found within too. Of course, I shan’t spoil them for you but I advise you to keep your eyes peeled throughout. And I challenge audiences not to be amazed by many scenes that Matthew Vaughn has delivered in his movie. You’ll laugh, you’ll cheer, and you’ll have a great time. Elly Conway needs to return sometime in the future and write another best-seller. Who is Argylle? You’ll need to find that out for yourself. But the real spymaster, the one who’s kept the film and its contents such a great secret? That’ll be Matthew Vaughn. The greater the spy, the bigger the lie. And quite possibly, a serious contender as a film of the year.