“Argylle” is the peak of dumb action movie fun. A movie about a woman who writes spy novels that turn out to be true? It’s a fascinating and entertaining twist on a usually straightforward action movie. However, “Argylle” never actually delivers on those twists. “Argylle” is too busy trying to justify to its audience its own comedy and lovable characters, instead of having these qualities.
Released Feb 2, 2024 in theaters, “Argylle” made $18 million in the box office on its first weekend. The main character, Ellie Conway, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, a reclusive “cat-lady”/author of the book series “Argylle” was portrayed very well as the audience follows her adventure. She finds herself as the main character of one of her books accompanying her agent, “Argylle”, the character from her books. Ellie Conway is your typical protagonist, charmingly shy smart, and unprepared for her adventure. The movie also stars big names like Henry Cavil, Dua Lipa, and John Cena who serve a fun comedic element.
However, “Argylle” does not have much to offer to the spy-movie genre as a whole as it serves mindless fun without the usual genius of the genre. This happens because this movie is clustered with trying to be other genres, and the audience cannot tell whether it is a comedy, romance, action or adventure. If one tries to reason out the logistics of the plot, it would end up more confusing than impressive. The CGI and special effects are sloppy, making the film feel like it was made in 2016 instead of 2024. “Argylle” tries its best to make its characters both clever and silly, but ends up being nonsensical, with most of their success attributable to luck. Some plot twists make the movie a fun first watch, but it is unlikely to stay in the public consciousness for any longer period than its runtime.
Critics from acclaimed newspapers like The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and ABC say that the movie “falls flat” and feels “AI-generated.” There is a public consensus that the movie is just not good. Even the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer gave a score of 34%, and its Audience Score is 71%.
That being said, this movie also does some things very well. With the protagonist being female, and while not doing much action for a large portion of a very action-driven movie, she still manages to be the most compelling character. Ellie Conway takes her time finding her place in the audience’s hearts.
While not written well, “Argylle” can entertain its audience, which movies in theaters nowadays fail to do. The film appeals to its target audience: families intending to watch an entertaining film. Even though it may not hold up to critics’ standards, it does not stop the movie from being fun. Though “Argylle” has many flaws, that does not mean that it cannot be enjoyed. Whether the audience is laughing at jokes or how dumb those jokes are, they are still laughing.
