Argylle
2024
**
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Cast: Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, Dua Lipa, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson, Ariana DeBose, Richard E. Grant
Elly Conway is a reclusive author of trashy but popular spy novels. When her fictional espionage plots begin to mirror real-world events, she is pulled into the dangerous world of actual spies. Matthew Vaughn has directed three Kingsman features in a row, and this romantic spy action-comedy appears to be loosely connected to the franchise. Exhaustion and over-saturation are real concerns, and it's no help that this movie is by and large charmless. Vaughn's love of CGI means that every action set piece looks the same - and, frankly, awful. Elly imagining her fictional character in place of the real spy quickly wears out its welcome, and only adds unnecessary minutes to the runtime.
