★★★★
Director Matthew Vaughn steps away from his Kingsman duties to offer a different kind of spy thriller in Argylle. The script was penned by Jason Fuchs (Wonder Woman), and Vaughn has created a memorable action-comedy with more twists than a pretzel and a story presented more deeply than the genre usually provides, offering several moments of uncontrollable laughter.
Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) is the author of the popular spy novel series, Argylle, and she sees her character Argylle (Henry Cavill) as she pens them. After finishing up the fifth book in the series, Elly is approached by Aidan Wilde (Sam Rockwell), who informs her that they’re after her because what she writes predicts movements in the international spy world. Now, the two will work together to try to solve the mystery by getting that final chapter written.
The story rivals any good espionage thriller in both the depth of the story and unpredictability. Viewers who revel in figuring out the twists will often think they have it all sorted out, only to be shocked by what happens next. The entire cast is all-in on the joke, playing their characters up for all they’re worth. Howard is particularly fantastic in every aspect of her character. Rockwell gets to have the most fun, though, as the often-put-upon protector of a flighty author and a cat that seems to hate him.
