'Argylle' Review

Matthew Vaughn's new spy thriller is full of twists and turns, flashy and "fun" but without much substance or novelty

If you are familiar with the work of director Matthew Vaughn, you will probably agree when I describe his work as “excessive”. His films are characterized by flashy set design and camera work, quippy, morally-grey characters trying to navigate a world which is rapidly changing around them, and especially stylized, CGI-heavy, hyper-violent action scenes often set to a backing track of classic pop music. You can think of the “Manners maketh man” pub fight or the church brawl (set to “Free Bird”) from the first Kingsman film or the “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” scene from the second Kingsman. Matthew Vaughn’s hallmark as a filmmaker is stylistic excess, especially when it comes to his action scenes.

Knowing this, I was intrigued when I saw that his new film, Argylle, was rated PG-13 instead of R (Vaughn’s first PG-13 film since X-Men in 2011). Would this rating limitation force Vaughn to curb some of that excess that he’s known for, and result in a tighter and more focused story with less reliance on hyper-violence and flashy set-piece action scenes?

The answer is no. No, it did not.

Argylle is a espionage action-thriller centered around Ellie Conway, a spy novelist caught up in real world events when it turns out that her books have been coming dangerously close to the truth. Ellie is swept into a dangerous new world where she’s forced to adapt and use her knowledge and skills to survive. Unfortunately, it’s hard to give a more comprehensive plot summary than that, because this film is more full of twists than a Octoberfest pretzel-eating contest. As Ellie’s world continues to fall apart, she must choose who to trust and find out what really is true about this new espionage universe she has been dragged into.

Stylistically, this film is very much like Vaughn’s other work. It’s full of twists and turns, characters being backed into corners and almost forced to do morally-grey actions, questioning the motives of other characters, but ultimately defeating the bad guys in a tidal wave of blood. Or what would be blood, if this movie was rated R, but in Argylle looks more like putting a bunch of bullet holes in bloodless dummies. I would not be surprised if an R-rated cut of this film exists (especially given one of the major twists at the end), and I bet we’ll see it released either on streaming or DVD after this movie exits theaters.

Argylle could be compared to many different (and better) films, which I won’t do here to prevent spoiling the film. However, the hyper-violence of Vaughn’s work is perhaps best compared to the John Wick series. There is definitely some debate that could be had over how much violence a Catholic should find acceptable in a film, but Vaughn and John Wick I think both fall into a category somewhat different than most examples of Hollywood ultra-violence. Both have a highly stylized, highly choreographed approach to their action scenes that can be admired for the sheer filmmaking craft on display. These actions scenes are more dance than murder rampage; they are a complex display of human creativity and physical ability which transcend gladiatorial bloodlust. They are more fantasy than reality, and as such I tend to give them a pass. To use a dance metaphor, John Wick’s action scenes are blood-spattered ballets of bullets, bringing a sense of awe to the audience that is left impressed with the skill and talent required to bring such a vision to screen.

Matthew Vaughn’s action scenes, on the other hand, could more properly be compared to a complex cheerleading sequence. To be sure, there is genuine skill and ability on display here. The talent required to conceive and pull off such a routine should be acknowledged. But at the same time, there’s something a little more vulgar, almost trashy, about it, with its blaring pop backing track, big attention-seeking movements, and total lack of subtlety. You feel a little bit guilty about watching and enjoying it, even though you can recognize that there is some genuine artistry present. Argylle’s action scenes are very bright, very flashy, with lots of loud colors (including a colored smoke sequence reminiscent of the first Kingsman), loud music, and mugging for the camera. There was one scene so absolutely ludicrous that I and several other people in my theater burst out laughing as it was going on. The PG-13 rating did not slow Vaughn down at all; in fact, I would say that this film, both in story and in style, is one of the most excessive things he has done yet.

So what’s the verdict? Is it worth seeing? Well, that depends. The very nature of Vaughn’s filmmaking style means that many people will see them merely as stupid, flashy, empty films with nothing of substance to chew on. This is definitely true of Argylle; there is little new about this story, with all it’s twists and turns. I could rattle of a list of half a dozen other films that have done elements of Argylle’s story better than Argylle (though I won’t, because spoilers). It has very little of substance to say (thank God, given the cringy forced social commentary of Kingsman 2) and will not leave you thinking about anything other than how ludicrously crazy it is. Anyone who does not like movies like Kingsman will not like this film.

However, the very nature of Vaughn’s filmmaking style also means that these films can be massive guilty pleasures for some people, and with some shame I must admit that I am one of them. If, like me, you have a sheepish soft spot for the Kingsman series, then you probably will have a good time with Argylle, even while admitting all of its unsubtlety and obvious flaws. If, and only if, you know what you’re getting into, I softly recommend this movie as a fun but forgettable night at the theater. If not, feel free to skip it. You won’t be missing much.

*Content warning: As mentioned in the review, lots of stylized violence, although without any blood or gore as mandated by its PG-13 rating. No overt sexuality or nudity, although there are some plunging necklines and oblique references to sex. Mild PG-13 swearing throughout. I certainly wouldn’t take a teenager to see it, despite the rating.

And sorry, Swifties, but there was no indication that Taylor wrote it.*