Argylle 2024

“Argylle,” the fumbling and excessively cooked-up action film directed by Matthew Vaughn, kicks off with a bit of humor. Agent Argylle (Henry Cavill) infiltrates a Greek-themed club, encountering the blonde LaGrange (Dua Lipa) clad in a dazzling gold dress. They engage in a sultry dance before she makes a dramatic escape amid a barrage of bullets from a group of villains. Assisted by his team—a tech expert (Ariana DeBose) and a sidekick (John Cena)—Argylle evades danger, navigating narrow streets in a set piece reminiscent of a James Bond film. When he finally catches up with LaGrange, the exchange of mundane dialogue ensues. “You and I are not so different,” remarks LaGrange. “You’re a terrorist,” retorts Argylle. “It seems we serve the same master,” she says, prompting a laugh. If these characters seem like cardboard cutouts from a cheap spy novel, especially with Cavill’s flamboyant high-top haircut, it’s because they essentially are. They are the imaginative creations of author Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard), presently crafting the fifth novel in her bestselling Argylle series.

In Jason Fuchs’ screenplay, a consistent rhythm is maintained as he unfolds the spoof narrative. Struggling with writer’s block and accompanied by her cat Alfie, Elly decides to take a train journey to visit her mother, played by Catherine O’Hara. During the journey, she encounters Aidan, portrayed by Sam Rockwell. Unlike the glamorous Argylle, this disheveled stranger is a convincing spy, adept at seamlessly blending into the surroundings. Utilizing point-of-view shots from Elly’s perspective, a clever editing technique unfolds. In the blink of an eye, Rockwell’s face seamlessly transforms into Cavill’s, creating a visual blend of reality and fiction.

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.