Summary
- Spy, starring Melissa McCarthy, is a well-received spy comedy thriller with a touch of parody, ideal for fans of fun-loving espionage films.
- Argylle's poor box office performance is linked to its plot holes and reviews, hindering potential sequels and crossovers in the future.
- For fans of modern spy comedies like Argylle, movies like Atomic Blonde and Mr. & Mrs. Smith offer compelling and entertaining alternatives.
There are several other modern spy comedy thrillers that fans of Matthew Vaughn's Argylle can enjoy. Depsite having a star-studded ensemble cast featuring Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Samuel L. Jackson, Catherine O'Hara, John Cena, Dua Lipa, and Henry Cavill, Argylle was a box office flop upon its release in early February 2024. Argylle only made $96 million worldwide against its staggering $200 million budget, quickly becoming one of the biggest box office failures of the year. Still, there are several other good spy comedy thrillers for fans of the fun-loving genre.
Argylle's poor reviews likely contributed to its poor box office performance. Argylle has several headscratcher moments and plot holes that make it difficult to fully comprehend its serpentine narrative. Although Vaughn has indicated that he plans to expand on the original film's concept with several Argylle prequels, sequels, and crossovers, the poor box office performance and critical reception of the film may prevent him from doing so. There is speculation that Argylle could eventually crossover with Kingsman and that the next movie will be based on the actual book published by "Elly Conway" in January 2024. Argylle is now available to stream exclusively on Apple TV+.
10 Spy (2015)
Spy
Written and directed by Paul Feig, 2015's Spy features Jason Statham, Jude Law, and Melissa McCarthy in an Action, Comedy, and Spy setting. McCarthy plays a CIA employee relegated to a desk that helps her field agent partner remotely until she's forced into action to help keep everyone safe.
- Director
- Paul Feig
- Release Date
- June 15, 2015
- Studio(s)
- 20th Century
- Distributor(s)
- 20th Century
- Writers
- Paul Feig
- Cast
- Melissa McCarthy , Rose Byrne , Jude Law , Jason Statham , Raad Rawi , Jessica Chaffin , Miranda Hart , Sam Richardson
- Runtime
- 120 Minutes
- Budget
- $65 million
- Main Genre
- Comedy
Spy is a celebrated spy thriller comedy starring Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Jude Law, and the formidable action star Jason Statham. Written and directed by Paul Feig, the acclaimed creator of Freaks and Geeks and director of Bridesmaids and fifteen episodes of The Office, Spy is full of parody of the typical spy-action genre and is arguably one of the best spy action comedies ever made. The spoofs seen throughout Spy are very similar to those in Argylle, playing on many traditional tropes of spy classics such as those in the James Bond franchise. Spy received an impressive 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 75 on Metascore, a great indication of its overall quality as a spy comedy thriller. Spy is currently available to stream on MAX.
9 Atomic Blonde (2017)
Atomic Blonde
Based on a graphic novel, Atomic Blonde stars Charlize Theron as Lorraine Broughton, an MI6 agent who is attempting to locate a sensitive list of double agent spies before it is smuggled from East to West Germany, just before the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Theron is joined by a cast that includes James McAvoy, Sofia Boutella, and John Goodman.
- Director
- David Leitch
- Release Date
- July 26, 2017
- Studio(s)
- Focus Features
- Distributor(s)
- Focus Features
- Writers
- Kurt Johnstad , Antony Johnston , Sam Hart
- Cast
- Charlize Theron , Eddie Marsan , John Goodman , James Faulkner , Toby Jones , James McAvoy , Daniel Bernhardt , Sofia Boutella
- Runtime
- 115 minutes
- Budget
- $30 million
Atomic Blonde may not be the most obvious choice as a spy action comedy, but it is still a phenomenal spy thriller led by the incomparable Charlize Theron fresh off of 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road. Atomic Blonde, which was directed by David Leitch and based on an adapted screenplay written by Kurt Johnstad, also stars James McAvoy, John Goodman, Bill Skarsgard, and Eddie Marsan. Theron is perfectly cast in the lead role of undercover MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton, who played an integral part in the realistically gripping fight scenes. Leitch, the director of Deadpool 2, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, and Bullet Train, also directed The Fall Guy with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. Atomic Blonde is not currently available to stream on any major platforms.