Promotional Image from Universal Pictures
Beware of potential spoilers for “Argylle.”
The newest film to release from “Kingsman” director Matthew Vaughn is “Argylle.” This film is a spy thriller, revolving around writer Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) discovering who she truly is due to an assassination attempt-turned adventure.
Other cast members include Sam Rockwell (Aidan Wilde), Henry Cavill (Agent Argylle), John Cena (Agent Wyatt), Dua Lipa (Lagrange), Ariana DeBose (Agent Keira), Catherine O’Hara (Ruth), Bryan Cranston (Director Ritter), and Samuel L. Jackson (Alfie).
When trailers for this film were revealed, I became worried that the marketing was focused on Elly’s cat more than anything. When Samuel L. Jackson’s character said the line “It’s time for you to meet the real Agent Argylle,” I immediately feared it would be the cat.
To my surprise, Argylle ended up being Elly herself! This was one of the many plot twists throughout the film. Although I am typically not a fan of spy movies, I actually deeply enjoyed this film.
The action in this film was much better than I expected it to be. Rockwell and Cavill stole the show when it came to impressive stunt work. When the camera cuts between their two characters in the same fight scenario, it’s flawless and shows the difference between Aidan and Argylle when putting up a fight.
I also enjoyed seeing the fight switching characters because it just proves further that Elly’s mind was broken.
On that note of Elly’s broken mind,there were multiple shocking plot twists. I wasn’t expecting Director Ritter to be Elly’s “father.” Seeing him standing at the doorway to check in on her actually made me anxious.
Seeing Bryan Cranston take on the role of a father figure gave me instant flashbacks to seeing his portrayal of Walter White in “Breaking Bad.” The portrayal of Director Ritter was just perfect, but whenever he would appear, an organ played a villainous theme. I found that made him appear much more terrifying than his physical appearance did.
I found it to be an even bigger plot twist that he wasn’t actually her father. The film used hypnosis perfectly to describe why Elly was unable to remember anything from her life besides the false memories that were created.
I also found it ironic that the false memories actually aided her in the end. At the beginning of the film, it was mentioned that Elly was in an ice-skating incident. She used this to her benefit, skating on crude oil to stop Ritter’s soldiers without using guns.
I will admit that the film was sort of cheesy, but that didn’t make it bad. In all fairness, I would say that it made it even better. Lately, romantic action films seem to be hit or miss.
One of the film’s biggest criticisms is that there are way too many plot twists. I can see this to a degree. There are a lot of major reveals, but upon reflection, it all ties back to the central story. Elly has no memory of many things, and the audience simultaneously finds out the truth with her.
However, after realizing who she is, Elly has a happy ending. She still poses as the writer that she was hypnotized to be, but carries through with continuing to work as a spy alongside her love, Aidan.
Among the many plot twists, the one I found to be the most confusing yet the funniest was seeing Henry Cavill with a very 1980s-esque haircut and a southern accent.
For now, the context of this scene is unknown, but it does raise a few questions: Has Elly encountered this man before? And if so, is he what she based her imagining of Agent Argylle on?
Although Matthew Vaughn has made better films, this one did not disappoint me. I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of romantic spy films. Every actor and actress delivers a solid performance, and the pacing is perfect for the story being told.
I am excited to see where this franchise goes and to see what tie-ins there will be between the upcoming sequels and the “Kingsman” films.
Argylle is currently playing in theaters in both standard and IMAX formats. Tickets can be found on websites such as Fandango.