Critics shared their first reactions and reviews for the new 2024 action-comedy movie Argylle.
Led by Kingsman and X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn, Argylle features an all-star cast of characters behind stars like Bryce Dallas Howard, Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, John Cena, and movie newcomer Dua Lipa.
In the film, Howard plays an introverted spy novelist named Elle Conway who gets caught up with a real-world underground syndicate, putting her right in the thick of a similar story to the ones she normally only writes.
Argylle Movie's First Reviews & Reactions
Argylle had its worldwide premiere event in London, UK on January 2, and after its theatrical run, it will be available to stream on Apple TV+.
Following Argylle's world premiere event, critics shared their first reactions and reviews for Matthew Vaughn's new film.
ComicBook's Brandon Davis described the film as "a fun time" while highlighting Vaughn's "style and ridiculousness," heaping special praise on Sam Rockwell for his performance:
"'Argylle' is a fun time with the style and ridiculousness of Matthew Vaughn, reeled in a bit from his recent films. Sam Rockwell is exceptionally entertaining. It’s a fun, slick, wild ride that runs a little long, confidently reliant on its excessive, ambitious twists."
Screen Rant's Joe Deckelmeier called the new movie "a bit of a throwback" and "the perfect blend of action, comedy, music, and espionage:"
"'Argylle' is a lot of fun & a bit of a throwback. It’s the perfect blend of action, comedy, music, and espionage. This cast in absolutely incredible & their energy come through the screen. The action, twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat. Watch it on a big screen!"
Critic Luiz Fernando urged the Academy Awards to create a category for stunts after watching Argylle while also declaring the film would "dominate the Best Original Song nominations" with Barbie were it released in 2023:
"Just had a blast watching 'Argylle.'
1- It’s past time for stunts to have an Oscars category!
2- If 'Argylle' had come out in 2023, it would dominate the Best Original Song nominations along with 'Barbie.' Banger after banger. Electric Energy is THE BOMB!"
Critic Matt Harris teased the "twists and turns" coming in Argylle, telling fans to "go in as blind as possible" to get the full experience from the movie:
"So the 'Argylle' movie was fantastic! It's got more twists and turns than an overly designed roller coaster! Go in as blind as possible and enjoy the ride! Thanks to Universal and Empire Magazine for the evening! And Matthew Vaughn for the insightful interview afterwards!"
Comic writer Mark Millar used the word "awesome" when discussing the film, teasing a "very subtle Seinfeld joke" that might go unnoticed by many fans:
"Family and I just back home from the 'Argylle' premiere and I have to respect the embargo on reviews until next week, but 1/ the movie is awesome and 2/ It has a VERY SUBTLE 'SEINFELD' JOKE nobody except maybe 5 people will have noticed. Let's talk again after release!"
While early social media reactions are now up online, Argylle's full review embargo will be lifted on Sunday, January 31.
Vaughn earned praise for his work on past films such as X-Men: First Class and Kick-Ass, (77% and 86% Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively), but recent films haven't earned as high of marks.
His most recent directorial effort, 2021's The King's Man, came away with a meager 40% Tomatometer score, giving him back-to-back "rotten" movies by that metric.
Vaughn hopes to change his fortunes when Argylle comes to theaters on Friday, February 2.
