Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, Henry Cavill, Sofia Boutella, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson  
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 139 mins

Argylle is a spy action comedy by Matthew Vaughn, a director whose works often subvert their respective genres. Kick-Ass rejected the-then comic-book codes and conventions with its gleeful tone and Kingsman: The Secret Service was a raunchy and gory ultraviolet spy film. Even his less overtly subversive films have proven successful, with X-Men: First Class rejuvenating the X-Men series with its smart script. Like his Kingsman films, Vaughn takes another stab at the espionage thriller with Argylle. 

The film follows reclusive spy novelist, Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) who has found wild success with her Argylle book series. While she’s journeying to her mother, Ruth (Catherine O’Hara), she is saved from an attempted ambush by Aidan (Sam Rockwell), an actual spy who explains that she is being targeted by an organisation known as the Division, because her novels seemingly predict the future. 

While Argylle’s fresh concept in how it explores how a writer might see their creation come to fruition is to be commended, Vaughn’s latest isn’t his best work. It lacks the kinetic energy of his other films and the numerous twists don’t always work – the last act really ties itself in knots. Jason Fuchs’ script is on the wooden side and isn’t particularly funny. The score by Lorne Bale isn’t particularly memorable either and while there’s the trademark colourful pop to George Richmond’s cinematography, the film’s aesthetic has an artificial quality. 

None of the action sequences stand out either, arguably what should be the most thrilling element of a spy film. Vaughn’s last film, The King’s Man (a prequel to the mainline films) was also more a more inert effort but it at least had one memorable fight half-way through, which the rest of the film failed to top. 

The more family-friendly 12A rating really tames proceedings and what really propelled both Kick-Ass and Kingsman was its rejection of having to pander to a wide audience. While both Stardust and X-Men: First Class prove Vaughn is more than capable of crafting works with brain, as well as brawn, when toning his sensibilities down, Argylle just doesn’t quite succeed. 

There’s still some fun to be had though. Bryce Dallas Howard is excellent as the introverted author, who just wants the easy life and her home comforts. Samuel L. Jackson is also reliably brilliant and delivers most of the film’s limited laughs, particularly as he’s waiting to receive a file. It’s nice to see Catherine O’Hara, who is more selective in the roles she accepts these days and Bryan Cranston is also clearly having fun. While Sam Rockwell’s reliably charismatic and likeable, the role seemed like a slight waste of his talents and could have been played by someone else. Other than sporting a striking flat-top haircut, Henry Cavill fails to make much of an impression as the titular Argylle. 

Ultimately, while there’s fun to be had in the film’s first two thirds, Argylle fails to make the most of its unique concept. It’s lacking in energy in its forgettable action sequences and the film falls apart in its third act. Argylle would have been a stronger work if it had further dived into the fantastical nature of how a writer might imagine their world and if it wasn’t constrained by its more accessible age-rating. A frustrating post-credits scene promises we are going to see more of this world and I hope Vaughn returns to the drawing board and re-evaluates this film’s shortcomings.