Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) is the best selling author of the Argylle (Henry Cavill) spy novels. Whilst working on book five of the series she is saved from a kidnapping attempt by secret agent Aidan Wilde (Adam Rockwell) who explains that her books appear to be prophetic visions of current events and an evil spy agency known as The Division wants to capture her. The two set off on a globetrotting adventure to find a mysterious “silver bullet” and shut down The Division. 

The novel world features the male model super spy Argylle played with aplomb by Henry Cavill alongside his team of Keira (Ariana DeBose) and Wyatt (John Cena). Whilst in the real world the evil Director Ritter (Bryan Cranston) tries to capture Elly as she seeks help from her mother Ruth (Catherine O’Hara) and Aidan. Director Matthew Vaughn also finds roles for favourites Samuel L. Jackson and Sofia Boutella. 

Argylle is an over the top, brash and frivolous spy romp of a movie. One of its main storytelling conceits is to blend the trashy spy novels of its protagonist with the “real world” action sequences. But ultimately its heightened sense of reality makes it feel like we are always in the novel. And this fact will be the make or break of whether you find Argylle fun. The film skates on a very fine line of ludicrous fun and utter nonsensical trash and you will need to decide which side of that line you fall. 

In the filmography of director Matthew Vaughn this should not feel like a shock. His films have become increasingly flamboyant, becoming more and more comic like and focusing on being “cool”. I loved the first half of his career which featured Stardust, Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class. Whilst the second half of his career has been entirely focused on his Kingsman universe where the fun original was followed by a dire sequel and prequel. Argylle feels like a continuation and culmination of that direction of travel. The most recent film it reminded me of was Malignant. Whilst a completely different genre they both shoot for a heightened sense of storytelling where the more ludicrous they get and the more twists that they pile upon each other the more fun they are. 

When it works it’s good fun. Cavill, Howard and Rockwell are all great value. The action sequences are stupidly cartoonish (including the effects that do not seem to be aiming for realism at all) and hit a crescendo with a colourful shoot out and dance sequence which actually prompted a couple of walk outs in the screening I went to! There also seem to be some in jokes poking fun at its lead actors with Rockwell’s character desperate to dance and Howard’s character at one point taking her heels off to run. If you know why those things are funny then we could be friends! 

But it also does have massive issues. I wanted far more Henry Cavill and his dumb hair cut. But conversely the film is overlong at 139 minutes when it is meant to be a frivolous romp. And then there is the fact that the storyline is ludicrous and really does not hold up to any scrutiny and the question of your personal threshold for the stylistic choices made. Oh and then there is a mid credits sting that I frankly hated and wish I was unaware of entirely! 

I think Argylle is a marmite movie. I had fun with it whilst understanding why many would hate it. But it is better than Vaughn’s most recent Kingsman titles.