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Argo

Play trailer 2:25 Poster for Argo R Released Oct 12, 2012 2h 0m History Drama Mystery & Thriller Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 360 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
On Nov. 4, 1979, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, taking 66 American hostages. Amid the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge with the Canadian ambassador. Knowing that it's just a matter of time before the refugees are found and likely executed, the U.S. government calls on extractor Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) to rescue them. Mendez's plan is to pose as a Hollywood producer scouting locations in Iran and train the refugees to act as his "film" crew.
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Argo

Argo

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Critics Consensus

Tense, exciting, and often darkly comic, Argo recreates a historical event with vivid attention to detail and finely wrought characters.

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Critics Reviews

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Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online Affleck continues to impress audiences with his keen eye for direction, knowing just when to fall back and allow this top-notch cast the freedom to interpret the events in a way that will most compel viewers. Rated: A Sep 7, 2017 Full Review Jonathan Robbins Film Comment Magazine Affleck is still building up his chops as a director, but the intelligence and ambition he brings to filmmaking are particularly apparent in Argo. Jan 13, 2015 Full Review Anthony Quinn Independent (UK) The old saw "truth is stranger than fiction" has had its teeth properly sharpened in the superb thriller Argo, a blend of political history and Hollywood hijinks that goes right for the jugular. Rated: 5/5 Jan 13, 2015 Full Review Anushka Halve Film Companion Mendez orchestrates the audacious plan to hoodwink Iranian authorities by posing as a film crew, ingeniously paving the way for the American diplomats to secure safe passage out of the country. Dec 12, 2023 Full Review Mark Johnson Awards Daily Lines of historic moments are blurred in Ben Affleck’s dramatization of the rescue of diplomats during the Tehran hostage crisis of 1979. But who’s complaining? (Argo) is an extremely rewatchable movie. Jun 27, 2023 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Affleck has not only reminded us that his best performances come when he’s in control, but that he’s also a considerable force behind the camera. Rated: 4/4 Sep 23, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Andrew R It’s hard to make a political thriller this complex yet understandable. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/18/24 Full Review Mr M This film is extremely overrated. Whilst it's well done with the cast and camera, there just isn't enough to keep you interested, especially for 2 hours. You care little for the six people trying to get out, as you know nothing about them. The film never makes you feel on the edge of your seat until a few minutes at the end. No use of surround sound, very little action. Average film Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 11/10/24 Full Review Breno G Special Effects: 1,0/Sound Effects: 1,0/Acting: 1,0/Story: 1,0 Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/17/24 Full Review Ricardo W No puedo comenzar sin antes comentar que me resulta muy mortificante cuando algo standard termina siendo inmerecidamente ovacionado por la crítica. Es algo que sólo habla del harto conocido poder de la maquinaria publicitaria de los grandes estudios. Argo es un film bastante bueno, no cabe duda, muy bien dirigido, estupendamente actuado e impecablemente producido, pero cuando hay tanto esfuerzo en vendernos que es la octava maravilla o el mejor film del año, es natural que crezcan las expectativas, y la verdad es que no es para tanto. Como film de suspenso, Ben Affleck logra su cometido cabalmente: el ritmo va en un crescendo lento pero seguro, y desemboca en una escena climática muy bien lograda. Como film histórico, también hay que destacarlo: hay un evidente esfuerzo de investigación y producción, y el resultado es pulido, redondo. La historia, más allá de estar basada en hechos reales, está muy bien manejada, y como espectador aprecio muy particularmente el que no se haya caído en el patrón maniqueísta habitual de las grandes producciones que suelen endiosar a "los buenos" y ridiculizar a "los malos". Los personajes, más bien, son dotados de cierta multidimensionalidad humana, aunque aquí hay que acotar que la construcción de los caracteres principales se queda algo corta y carece de profundidad: algunos brochazos de sensibilidad para humanizar al personaje central se quedan a medio camino, más como interrupciones innecesarias a la trama que como parte de la misma, y el resto de los personajes quedan inexplorados, como actores descontextualizados en una coyuntura aislada. Hablar de la dirección de Ben Affleck sólo sirve para aumentar la insatisfacción: sí, es una película bien dirigida, pero no, no hay un aporte extraordinario o digno de mención singular. Hay una absorción bastante eficiente de los elementos más característicos del cine de suspenso, pero no hay planteamientos nuevos ni fuera de lo corriente. Los créditos finales son, tal vez, la parte más interesante y a la vez más irritante, un guiño a la naturaleza histórica del film que se convierte en suerte de llamado de atención al espectador: "¡Miren lo que logramos, aplaudan!". E incluso entonces, no es nada que no hayamos visto antes. Sin embargo, no lo tomen a mal, es una buena película. Es lo que debería ser el standard de las películas de suspenso: historia bien hilvanada, producción esmerada, breve pero contundente (y la brevedad se aprecia mucho más en un año plagado de filmes interminablemente largos). Sólo hay que manejar las expectativas, porque no es lo que nos han vendido, y pasará al olvido con gran facilidad. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/06/24 Full Review Kauã M Great script and direction that make everything seem real and still maintain the grace and unrealistic things of a good movie plot. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/06/24 Full Review Colin M Can Americans stranded in post-revolution 1979 Iran be got out alive? Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/10/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis On Nov. 4, 1979, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, taking 66 American hostages. Amid the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge with the Canadian ambassador. Knowing that it's just a matter of time before the refugees are found and likely executed, the U.S. government calls on extractor Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) to rescue them. Mendez's plan is to pose as a Hollywood producer scouting locations in Iran and train the refugees to act as his "film" crew.
Director
Ben Affleck
Producer
Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck, George Clooney
Screenwriter
Chris Terrio
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Smokehouse Pictures, Smoke House, GK Films, Warner Bros.
Rating
R (Some Violent Images|Language)
Genre
History, Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Biography
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 12, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 3, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$136.0M
Runtime
2h 0m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby Digital, Datasat
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