‘Argylle’ Remains a Streaming Hit Despite Poor Rotten Tomatoes Score

2024 certainly gave us a lot of great movies, but as with any year, there were a number of duds that just couldn’t connect with audiences. Matthew Vaughn’s action spy comedy Argylle arguably falls into the latter category, and though it was definitely one of the worst-reviewed movies of the year, that isn’t stopping fans from continuously keeping it in the Top 10 over on Apple TV+.

Per Apple, Argylle is sitting in the #10 position on its Top 10 list of most popular movies at the time of this writing, where – since its streaming debut last April – it has remained in one spot or another. Featuring an ensemble cast that boasts the likes of Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, John Cena, and Samuel L. Jackson, Argylle centers around a reclusive author (Howard) who is drawn into the world of spies and espionage after she realizes that a new spy novel she is writing mirrors real-world events.

Hitting theaters on Feb. 2, 2025, Argylle managed to take in $92.2 million at the box office despite being largely panned by critics. It currently holds just a 33% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Yasmine Kandil from Discussing Film saying that “while not completely uninspired or tedious, the film does come off as rather lackluster and artificial.” MovieWeb’s own Julian Roman said in his review that Argylle‘s “uneven nature tests your patience to a fault,” while at the same time noting that the “charming ensemble of Hollywood stalwarts have decent chemistry but are eventually lost in the bewildering shenanigans.”

Fans Were a Little Kinder to ‘Argylle’

Though critics may not have enjoyed Vaughn’s campy spy comedy, fans were a little more forgiving of the film. Its Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter sits at a healthy 71%, with many calling it a fun ride despite its flaws. One user said Argylle is “a star-studded winky face at spy movies,” while another said that even though it might be overly long at 2 hours and 20 minutes, “it gives everything time to play out beautifully.”

That being said, recent reviews on Letterboxd seem to mirror those of critics, as one person claimed that “the cat and Henry Cavill are the only reason this movie isn’t half a star in my book.” “I wish I had tomatoes to throw at this movie,” came the review from another user, while a half-star review said:

“This feels like time wasted for everyone involved, in front and behind the screen. The actors got paid so good on them. This is an awful film.”

While it’s clear that Argylle was certainly one of the more divisive films of 2024, it seems Apple subscribers are still discovering it some 10 months after its streaming release. Whether that translates to more positive reviews the further we get into 2025 remains to be seen, but for now, it’s still one of those movies people either love or hate. You can check out Argylle streaming now on Apple TV+, and catch Henry Cavill next in the action thriller In the Grey, which is slated to release later this year.

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Release Date

February 2, 2024

Runtime

139 Minutes

Cast

Henry Cavill
, Ariana DeBose
, Sofia Boutella
, Catherine O’Hara
, Bryce Dallas Howard
, John Cena
, Dua Lipa
, Samuel L. Jackson
, Sam Rockwell
, Bryan Cranston
, Rob Delaney