‘Argylle’ joins the list of 2024 flops
By Caroline Stiff
“The better the spy, the bigger the lie” is the promo tagline for the movie “Argylle,” so it comes as no surprise this movie’s trailer felt like a lie. What should have been a fun, engaging action film turned out to be a convoluted disappointment masquerading as a mystery to be solved.
“Argylle” follows spy novelist Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) as she discovers her book series accurately reflects the activities of a real spy organization. After a bout of writer’s block stops her from finding a satisfying ending for the next book in her series, she is cornered by multiple spies and learns about her prediction skills. A spy named Aiden (Sam Rockwell) convinces Elly to work with him to solve the real mystery her new manuscript depicts.
This movie, the first installment of a planned trilogy, also carries ties to director Matthew Vaugh’s “Kingsman” franchise. In true Vaughn-style, “Argylle” is littered with eye-catching moments — including one scene full of colorful smoke — and chaotic action sequences.
With such a star-studded cast — including big names like Henry Cavill, Samuel L. Jackson, Brian Cranston, Catherine O’Hara and John Cena — the acting in this film leaned toward palatable rather than notable. The performances felt like acting, rather than the stars embodying their characters. The one exception is Sam Rockwell. Delivering a stand-out performance, he served as the comedic relief this movie desperately needed.
“Now and Then” by The Beatles played a much larger role in this movie than is needed or wanted. It’s associated with two characters as “their song,” but the sheer number of times it, or its instrumental counterpart, appeared during the film is questionable at best. Rest in peace to a once enjoyable song tarnished by being played to death.
A good mystery leaves a trail pointing towards the twists and turns of the story. This tale left no crumbs, and I do mean that negatively. This unsolvable mystery has about five-too-many twists hidden in its plot with no real set up before the reveals. Rooting for the characters felt hard to do when the plot of the film was so completely tangled.
Multiple situations in the film came across as unrealistic and too convenient. Someone shoving knives on the bottom of their boots and proceeding to skate through a gasoline leak just isn’t very believable.
This movie was technically entertaining, but only enough to make finishing this film bearable. If you decide to see “Argylle” in theaters, remember to adjust your expectations and prepare to leave the movie with “Now and Then” permanently stuck in your head.
Overall rating: 2 / 5 stars
What to know before you go: After the movie, there is a mid-credit scene. If you want to know how “Argylle” and the “Kingsman” franchise connect, make sure to stick around.
