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Argylle () is a 2024 Spy film action-comedy film directed by Matthew Vaughn, and written by Jason Fuchs. The film features an ensemble cast, including Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O'Hara, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, John Cena, and Samuel L. Jackson. Its plot centres on a reclusive author who is drawn into the world of spies and espionage after she realises that a new spy novel she is writing mirrors real-world events. It was filmed in Europe from August to December 2021.
Argylle premiered at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London on 24 January 2024, and was released in the United Kingdom on 1 February 2024, and in the United States on 2 February. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics, and grossed . Argylle is a standalone spin-off from the Kingsman franchise, with a crossover between the two planned as part of an intended spy-focused shared universe from Vaughn.
In London, the duo searches for a "Masterkey" that would help expose the Division referenced in Elly's novels. Suspecting Aidan wants to kill her, too, Elly calls her parents for help. As they arrive, Aidan reveals that her parents are operatives of the Division, forcing him and Elly to fend them off before fleeing. Escaping to France, Aidan and former CIA deputy director Alfred "Alfie" Solomon reveal that Argylle is not entirely fictional: Elly is, in fact, agent Rachel Kylle ("Argylle" seemingly having been derived from "R. Kylle"), who was captured and brainwashed by the Division five years earlier and made to believe that Dr. Margaret Vogeler (Ruth) and Director Ritter (Barry) were her parents. Elly put her suppressed memories, in modified form, into her novels; Aidan resurfaces as one of her characters, Wyatt, while Alfie reappears as her cat. With the latest Argylle novel, Rachel was about to reveal the whereabouts of the Masterkey to the world.
Aidan and Rachel travel to the Arabian Peninsula where they retrieve the Masterkey but are cornered by the Division, who return them to their base. Ritter reveals that Rachel was, in fact, a double agent and one of their most loyal assets for the Division, after which she offers to interrogate and subsequently shoots Aidan. She also locates Alfie for them but reveals that she sent him the Masterkey, betraying the Division. Aidan, revealed to have been shot in non-lethal areas, reunites with Rachel, and the two fight their way through the facility. Ritter interrupts the transmission of the Masterkey to Alfie but is fatally shot after Rachel's cat scratches out his eyes.
Aidan and Rachel escape to the Division facility exterior, revealed to be an oil tanker, to use the satellite connection to send the Masterkey. Margaret uses a mental trigger code to force Rachel to attack Aidan until Margaret is killed by Keira, a former CIA agent and Rachel and Aidan's sister-in-arms. Believed to be dead during a mission, she was actually saved by Rachel and these events, along with Keira's identical, fictional version, had also appeared in Elly's novels. Alfie finally receives the Masterkey transmission, and Aidan detonates the Division's oil tanker headquarters.
Resuming her novelist persona, Rachel publishes her final Argylle novel, where at a reading, the real Argylle reveals himself, much to her shock and confusion.
In a mid-credits scene, taking place twenty years earlier, a young Argylle is revealed to be a Kingsman agent, with the first novel being based on his life.
In August 2021, Apple TV+ bought the rights to the film for $200 million. Some trade press wrote the production budget was $200 million, with The Hollywood Reporter claiming some sources put costs as high as $250 million. Director Matthew Vaughn disputed that claim, saying: "I don't know how you spend $200 million on it. I actually don't. Unless you're going to make a five-hour CG fest." Matthew Belloni of Puck News and The Ringer later reported that the film's budget was less than the $200 million figure, which was for the licensing and distribution rights to the film and not the actual budget as had been reported. – via
Vaughn said the COVID-19 pandemic gave him the time to work on the film. He describes it as his ode to 1980s action thrillers like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. When asked about casting Cavill, he said: "I needed someone who was born to play Bond – which Henry is – and then nick him before James Bond did. He plays a larger-than-life action hero with a wink. It's very different from Kingsman."
In February 2024, authors Terry Hayes and Tammy Cohen revealed they had written the tie-in novel. The tie-in book was released ahead of the film's release, on 9 January 2024. Apple and Universal spent $80 million promoting the film, each being responsible for funding 50% of the costs.
In the United States and Canada, Argylle was projected to gross $15–20 million from 3,605 theatres in its opening weekend. The film made $6.4 million on its first day, including $1.7 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $17.5 million, topping the box office, though The Hollywood Reporter noted that "if legacy Hollywood studios released a $200 million movie with results like these, they would be skewered" and questioned whether Apple could continue to release $200 million films without better box office returns. In its second weekend the film dropped 63% to $6.5 million, remaining in first place of a "moribund box office" weekend. Variety called its first two weeks’ gross "dismal". The film made $4.7 million in its third weekend, finishing behind newcomers and Madame Web.
Audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by [[PostTrak]] gave it a 3 out of 5 stars.
Forbess Erik Kain noted that, in general, reviews criticised the film's length, number of , and use of CGI in action sequences, labelling it a parody of the genre. Brennan Klein of Screen Rant summarised the reviews as mixed, noting the polarised reception of the "metafiction" elements, while the cast received praise. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film one star out of five and called it an "unbearably self-satisfied smirk of a spy caper from Matthew Vaughn"; various other reviews were also very negative. Jackson Weaver of CBC News conceded that the "movie's meta-backstory is much more interesting than its actual storyline, by a lot", while the Los Angeles Timess Katie Walsh, also quite critical of the film, mentioned its "amusing premise" and enjoyed Rockwell's presence.
Vaughn was surprised by the negative reviews, as test screenings had been well received, "I thought it was a fun, feel-good movie". He said the film did well on streaming and that he would be happy to make another one if he got the chance.
| Worst Supporting Actress | Ariana DeBose | |
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