Argylle review: Matthew Vaughn spy film is full of style but lacking substance

After launching a compelling franchise with Kingsman: The Secret Service, Matthew Vaughn takes the helm in a different spy franchise and achieves mixed results with Argylle.

Argylle features a sprawling ensemble cast, but is an ensemble film in name only. Argylle is essentially a two-hander between Bryce Dallas Howard and Henry Rockwell with Catherine O’Hara and Bryan Cranston also playing crucial roles. Of the supporting cast which features Henry Cavill, John Cena, Dua Lipa, Samuel L. Jackson, Sofia Boutella and Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose, only Cavill’s performance rises above cameo territory and not by much.

Argylle tries to exist on two narrative planes initially. One is a fantasy spy adventure centering around Cavill’s fictional Agent Argylle. The other is set in the real world and follows the book series author Elly Conway (Howard). In Argylle, Elly’s fiction blends into reality. Turns out the missions she’s written about have happened and her latest book has caught the attention of rival spy agencies. Aidan (Rockwell) works to protect Elly while trying to get her to write the next chapter of her story.

One of the issues with Argylle is the fictional story setup. This story is far more interesting than Elly and Aidan’s spy adventure. However, Rockwell and Howard elevate the story as much as they can.

Vaughn and screenwriter Jason Fuchs try to pack some mystery into who the real agent Argylle might be. Unfortunately, the reveal is so predictable they might as well have gotten through the mystery sooner and moved on to a more interesting plot development involving the author’s lost memory following a skating accident. However, since so much of the focus is on the mysterious Argylle and Elly writing the next chapter, the lost memory subplot is lost in the shuffle.

Kingsman: The Secret Service succeeded in providing shock value while also balancing crazy action, humor and heart. In Argylle, there’s plenty of shock value, plot twists and the action is solid enough. However, the heart and especially the humor are missing.

There’s also no attempt to build out this world. Elly doesn’t bat an eye when Aidan reveals a secret agency exists. Then Argylle wraps up with one of the most implausible action sequences involving ice skates and crude oil.

Argylle isn’t a complete misfire. The chemistry between Howard and Rockwell is fun enough. I just wish the film had more depth and didn’t hinge so much on shocking reveals.

Overall, Argylle is probably one of Vaughn’s weaker films. However, it’s a mildly entertaining February film that allows Howard and Rockwell a rare opportunity to lead an action film.

With the overview of Argylle completed, let’s take a closer look at the elements that stood out for good and bad in this espionage film. Argylle will stream on Apple TV Plus following its theatrical run.

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Elly Conway

Elly is the type of author who connects more with the characters in her books and her cat than actual people. Her main public outings revolve around book signings. The film never explores why Elly’s personal life is so solitary.

After a Skype call with her mother (O’Hara), she decides to spend the weekend with her parents to finish writing her book. Conway is afraid of planes so she takes the train. She meets a supposed fan donning long hair and an unkempt beard. The man reveals he’s a spy and protects Elly from would-be kidnappers. As the man is fighting on the train, Elly’s imagination runs wild and she sees the fictional Argylle (Cavill) dealing out the damage.

Once off the train, the man reveals he’s Aidan. Elly’s something of a fortune teller and her latest book provides details of an ongoing mission involving rival spy agencies. Both agencies need Elly to write the next chapter.

The setup of Elly’s character is fine, but there’s just not a lot of context for why the agencies are going after her now. Previous entries in the book series reference real missions which should have warranted questioning. When Elly’s asked how she knows so many intricate details during a signing, she attributes research as the means to success.

Who is Agent Argylle?

In the fictional spy series dreamed up by Elly, Agent Argylle is a James Bond-like spy. In the opening of the film, Cavill’s Argylle is infiltrating a terrorist organization. After Lipa’s femme fatale turns the tables on Argyle, a chase ensues. Like any good spy, Argylle has a team of Wyatt (Cena) and Keira (Debose) who capture Lipa after a fun car chase. It turns out Wyatt and Argylle are working for the terrorists and are forced to go rogue.

In the real world, each character matches their fictional counterpart. However, Elly doesn’t know that at the time. Aidan reveals the real evil spy agency is The Division. While the film tries to play with who the real Agent Argylle and Wyatt are, the reveals are predictable from the moment the train scene takes place.

The more interesting mystery involves Elly’s mysterious past. During a book signing, Elly reveals it was an ice skating accident that served as her inspiration to write down all of the stories stuck in her head. The film doesn’t bother trying to make sense of an ice skater and waiter becoming a writer with an innate knowledge of spycraft. However, once it’s clear there’s more to Elly’s past than even she knows, the film finds some sort of narrative foothold.

Due to the predictable reveal of Agent Argylle, the film may have been better served by revealing the identity in the 1st act. There are plenty of shocking twists that could have landed better if they had more time to breathe. However, the reveal of the real Argylle is followed up by another twist maybe 10-15 minutes later.

Argylle final thoughts

Overall, Argylle features fun moments. Cavill oozes James Bond-like charm to such a degree it’s a shame he’s not in the film more. Rockwell is the standout of the film in a similar manner to how Colin Firth stood out in the Kingsmen films. Howard is pretty good as they more timid author. However, she struggles when the film calls on her to become more of the center of the action.

The biggest issue is the ensemble cast is barely in the film. Cena, DeBose and Lipa offer glimpses of interesting characters, but nothing more.

Argylle is a film full of twists, most predictable, and others dumbfounding. However, the pacing of the film never lets the gravity of the twists set in.

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