“Argylle” and the Perils of too Much

Matthew Vaughn’s newest spy caper is a reminder of the dangers of indulging every impulse.

Warning: Full spoilers for the film follow.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I was one of those who was genuinely looking forward to seeing Argylle, the new film from Matthew Vaughn. After all, you seemingly can’t go wrong when you have the creator and director of the Kingsman films and such great acting talents as Bryce Dallas Howard, Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, and Catherine O’Hara.

Except, unfortunately, you can.

When the film begins, Bryce Dallas Howard’s Elly Conway is an enormously successful mystery novelist, whose main character, Agent Argylle — played in-universe by Henry Cavill — has earned her a devoted fan following. However, it’s not long before Elly finds herself drawn into the real world of spies, thanks to Sam Rockwell’s Aidan, who wants to rescue her from the clutches of the sinister group known as the Division. In a plot twist that any halfway-conscious viewer would have been able to see from a mile away, it’s revealed that, in fact, Elly is the real Agent Argylle (real name Rachel Kylle. Get it?) Various hijinks and fight scenes ensue, until at last Elly and Aidan seem to have their own little slice of happiness until, in a…