disclosure: I was invited to a special screening of Argylle in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own. No other compensation was received. This post may contain affiliate links.
Argylle, the newest spy-thriller movie by Matthew Vaughn, is in theaters, and it seems to be a hot topic of discussion. Is Elly Conway really Taylor Swift? Is the cat a spy? Where can I buy that backpack? While I cannot in good faith say that Taylor is actually Elly Conway, we can chat about Argylle, spoiler free of course! I’m not letting the cat out of the bag.
Argylle – In Theaters February 2
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About the Movie
From the twisted mind of Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman franchise, Kick-Ass) comes Argylle, a razor-witted, reality-bending, globe-encircling spy thriller.
Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World franchise) is Elly Conway, the reclusive author of a series of best-selling espionage novels, whose idea of bliss is a night at home with her computer and her cat, Alfie. But when the plots of Elly’s fictional books—which center on secret agent Argylle and his mission to unravel a global spy syndicate—begin to mirror the covert actions of a real-life spy organization, quiet evenings at home become a thing of the past.
Accompanied by Aidan (Oscar® winner Sam Rockwell), a cat-allergic spy, Elly (carrying Alfie in her backpack) races across the world to stay one step ahead of the killers as the line between Elly’s fictional world and her real one begins to blur.
The Cast
In addition to Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell, Argylle boasts a well known cast. The top-flight ensemble cast features Henry Cavill (The Witcher), John Cena (Fast X), Oscar® winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story), Grammy winning pop superstar Dua Lipa (Barbie), Emmy winner and Oscar® nominee Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Emmy winner and comedy icon Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek), Sofia Boutella (Kingsman: The Secret Service), and the legendary Samuel L. Jackson. Alfie is played by Chip, the real-life cat of supermodel Claudia Vaughn (née Schiffer).
You cannot go wrong with Bryce Dallas Howard. She seems so sweet and innocent, but then pulls out this ‘taking care of business’ super power and steals the movie. Sam Rockwell delivers a tough guy that has overly sensitive tendencies, but realistic all at the same time. Samuel L. Jackson and Catherine O’Hara lend their classic styles to Argylle, and it all just blends together seamlessly.
The Soundtrack
The soundtrack to Argylle features the new song, Electric Energy, performed by Boy George, Nile Rodgers and Ariana DeBose – can’t go wrong with that combination! The soundtrack is an eclectic mix of newer and older music, featuring quite a few fun dance tunes and The Beatles ‘Now and Then.’
My Thoughts
Coming from Matthew Vaughn, you might expect a bit a more serious plot. Argylle is more of a spy-thriller comedy movie. Now, with that in mind, Argylle is still a really fun movie. There were many, MANY moments where the entire audience broke into laughter. The movie goes back to one line in the movie quite often – ‘The greater the lie, the greater the spy.” This line does hold to its promise. You really have no idea what is going on in this movie. And once you think you do, bam- plot twist! The story itself is very creative and evolved so naturally. With a 2h 19min runtime, there are a few points in the story that start to drag. These points are quickly picked back up as the story moves on.
The cat, Alfie, while not a spy, was a fun addition to the movie. The backpack is definitely a hot fashion item for cat lovers(find it here!) There is a post-credit scene, so be sure not to jump out of your seat too fast! The end of the movie does tease that Argylle could have a sequel, but no cliffhanger ending to insure that implication.
Argylle is a movie that we would watch again, but it is not a movie for the entire family. Argylle is rated PG-13 for strong violence and action, and some strong language. While mostly comedic, this movie does feature a LOT of action, and violence is just a given. There are a few deaths, and lots of gunfire. As always, you know your family best.
Argylle will keep you on your toes, that is certain. In theaters now, grab your bestie and get ready to laugh.
A Disney blooded, crafty, fun-lovin’ wife/mom/organizer/planner, etc who is obsessed with all things Disney 🙂 Maria grew up with the Magic Kingdom and has loved watching WDW evolve into what it is today. A firm believer in the Power of Pixie Dust, she is the owner of The Disney Driven Life – A Community for Neurotic Disney People & a d.i.y. crafty blog, Carousel of Projects – create~inspire~share.
