Argylle (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – A reclusive author who writes espionage novels about a secret agent and a global spy syndicate realizes the plot of the new book she’s writing starts to mirror real-world events, in real time.

My Take – Known for his kinetic and irreverent film making style, writer, producer and director Matthew Vaughn has built quite a name for himself with a hungry fan base.

From exploding onto the scene with Layer Cake (2004), gaining acclaim for Stardust (2007), tasting box office success with Kick-Ass (2010) and X-Men: First Class (2011) to igniting the Kingsman franchise, with Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), as a director Vaughn has continuously reaffirmed his lawless approach to storytelling.

Even when it didn’t quite work (like 2021’s Kingsman prequel The King’s Man), it was still something vibrant and dangerous. His latest too, which has been shrouded mystery ever since its announcement, manages to be yet another reckless, violent, ridiculous and joyful spy feature, and takes great pleasure in displaying the signature manic energy one would expect from a Matthew Vaughn film for better and for worse.

But unfortunately, while it checks familiar boxes, it doesn’t deliver as expected. With the main trouble being not knowing when to call it quits. Running for 139 minutes, after all that energy just gets exhausting.

Written by Jason Fuchs (Pan, Wonder Woman), the film finds itself constantly swinging between self-satisfied satire and urgent thriller, yielding partly fun, partly intriguing and mostly frustrating results in a film chock-full of acting heavyweights, which includes the likes of Henry Cavill, John Cena, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Dua Lipa, Catherine O’Hara and Samuel L. Jackson, but nary a convincing arc between them.

If only the film had played it less campy with its comedy and perhaps went for a slightly darker tone, I would have been inclined to give it a wider recommendation.

The story follows Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard), creator of the best-selling spy series named after its titular fictional character, Agent Argylle (Henry Cavill). Though Argylle is all brave and bold, Conway is the exact opposite of her literary creation, a troubled mess of anxiety and under-confidence (she can’t even ride a plane) who finds succor in her creative obsession and nonchalant cat, Alfie.

With the fourth Argylle novel now on bookshelves, Elly has swiftly refocused her attention on finishing the manuscript for the next one. Finding it difficult to fill up the last chapter, she decided to embark on a train journey to visit her ever supportive mother, Ruth (Catherine O’Hara). However, on the way, she runs into Aidan (Sam Rockwell), an actual spy, who breaks the news to Elly that her books are actually predicting the future.

That her imagination is, in fact, mirroring reality. Making her the target of a sinister global spy syndicate, known as The Division, run by Ritter (Bryan Cranston), who have got their hands on her latest manuscript that is puzzlingly similar to actual events that are currently unfolding. From thereon, the film unravels as a fairly twisty plot, spun through betrayal, memory and love.

The familiarity the audience has with Kingsman universe is actually the advantage and issue of the film. While never not entertaining, too much time is spent on sequences that ultimately prove to be inconsequential to both plot and characterization. Though you sort of get enthralled in the crazy action set pieces that mostly unfold in the final act of the story, the acquaintance with the fabric makes it slightly predictable.

In the first act, where Elly Conway is entirely a writer scared about the sudden shift of events happening around her, the writing is captivating and hilarious. But when the mysteries get resolved in the second act, the writing is not that smooth in presenting the shift with conviction, and it was pretty much the improvised repartee humor that saved the film in those parts.

Yes, some of the twists do work and surprise, but others cause over-complication, resulting in a convoluted plot that makes it difficult to pin down a linear and plausible timeline within the narrative. This then creates a tendency to fall into a sluggish pace due to loads of exposition, making it feel longer than it already is.

Sure, though it never completely uninspired or tedious, the film does come off as rather lackluster. Director Vaughn’s love for choreographed slow-motion fight sequences can be seen here as well, and this time, he decided to make the actors dance. Stylistically, the film relies heavily on visual effects, making the few scenes shot on location stand out among a slew of poorly rendered CGI backdrops.

It’s no secret that film boasts a killer cast ensemble littered with star power, not to mention some surprise cameos as well. At the film’s very core is Bryce Dallas Howard who delivers an entertaining performance and captures the uneasiness that comes with being unexpectedly thrust into a world of immense danger. The always awesome Sam Rockwell is her main scene partner for the majority of the film, and the two make a wonderful pair with genuine chemistry and great comic timing; the changing nature of their relationship as the plot careens through multiple Meta layers becomes truly touching.

Bryan Cranston is a decent enough but comes off as the least quirky and gripping of Matthew Vaughn’s spy villains. Samuel L Jackson and Catherine O’Hara manage to inject the much-needed spark every time they are on screen. However, despite their prominent presence in the marketing, Dua Lipa, Ariana Debose and John Cena are hardly in the film.

The same goes for Henry Cavill, who gets his moment to shine in the opening sequence, and that’s basically it. He only makes brief appearances as the fictional Agent Argylle in inter-cutting scenes where Elly sees the real events unfolding in front of her through the lens of her fictional characters. While this aspect of the story is sometimes fun, it leaves so much more to be desired. On the whole, ‘Argylle’ is an adequately fun spy caper that struggles to connect.