Argo

2012 Directed by Ben Affleck

The movie was fake. The mission was real.

As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA 'exfiltration' specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador.

Ben Affleck Alan Arkin Bryan Cranston John Goodman Scoot McNairy Tate Donovan Christopher Denham Kerry Bishé Clea DuVall Victor Garber Rory Cochrane Kyle Chandler Chris Messina Zeljko Ivanek Titus Welliver Richard Kind Taylor Schilling Keith Szarabajka Bob Gunton Page Leong Omid Abtahi Sheila Vand Karina Logue Ryan Ahern Bill Tangradi Jamie McShane Roberto Garcia Christopher Stanley Jon Woodward Kirby Show All…

Alternative Titles

Epiheirisi: Argo, Epixeirisi: Argo, آرگو, 아르고, Operacja Argo, Escape from Tehran

drama thriller

120 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by DirkH ★★★★½ 26

This is Ben Affleck's film all the way and I have to say I am more than impressed. I'm glad that he seems to have discovered what he is really good at. As an actor he was never really convincing. And even though he gives a great understated, albeit a bit one-note, performance here, it is in the director's chair where he excels.
This bizarre 'truth is stranger than fiction' tale has all the hallmarks of being turned into an over-stylized and over-dramatized political thriller. This is anything but that. Much like his performance, Affleck decided to take away the frills, leaving behind a film that is reminiscent of the political thrillers of yesteryear. Solid, made with craftsmanship and more…
Review by Travis Lytle ★★★★★ 9

From the opening Warner Brothers logo, to its end credits, "Argo" is a fully-engrossing and remarkably accomplished piece of filmmaking. Director Ben Affleck assembles a film that pays attention to the smallest of details while delivering on a grand dramatic scale.
With both cinematography that adds a patina of grain to its naturalistic color palette and the film's immersive design details, the look of "Argo" is historically appropriate and eye-catching. The cast, led by a stoic Affleck and more-than-solid turns by Alan Arkin and Bryan Cranston, is pitch-perfect.
The script and story of "Argo" are just as strong as its look and performances. Its dialogue is equally serious, knowing, and humorous. Its economical story is harrowing, affirming, and thematically rich.
Masterfully tense and rewardingly enveloping, "Argo" is a film about hope and responsibility. It is an excellent film.
Review by Adam Cook ★★★½ 27

Argo, the true life story you couldn’t make up, was always ripe for the Hollywood treatment and for the most part Affleck and co. do a good job of bringing it to the screen. Most should be familiar with the plot by now but if not it revolves around a CIA operation to get American diplomats out of Iran during the revolution. Their cover is an audacious and implausible recce scouting for film locations for a crappy space opera movie. It is easy to see what would attract somebody like Ben Affleck to this project, it has a current political resonance, Hollywood satire and an old fashioned thriller element driving the story forward.
Affleck does a commendable job juggling many…
Review by Tom Nixon ★ 2

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

affleck has the gall to begin argo by drawing attention to the victimisation of the iranian people in the time preceding the iran hostage crisis--sporting a pile of bodies and multiple shots of starving and tortured iranians, no less-- only to segue into a rote (albeit effective) suspenseful patriotic crowdpleaser in the apollo 13 mould--one which insists americans deserve more credit for their ability to use lies to clean up their own messes. not a pinch of irony to be found.
films like argo and silver linings playbook reduce challenging, complicated, disturbing topics into exactly what westerners would desperately like them to be, helping us sweep everything that challenges us under the rug so we can sleep at night. shut…
Review by CinemaClown ★★★★ 4

Winner of 3 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Argo is Ben Affleck's finest work as a director, is one of the best films of its year & is quite an accomplished piece of storytelling that expertly recounts the real-life event that took place in Iran during the Iranian Revolution in which 6 US diplomats were rescued by CIA with the help of Canadian government.
Set in 1979 Iran, the story of Argo follows 6 US diplomats who go into hiding when Iranian revolutionaries invade the American embassy in Tehran, taking several of them hostages. In an effort to get its people out of the country, CIA goes through various options & eventually settles with an insane plan; to arrive in Iran for…
Review by Silent J ★★★★★

I've been sitting here for SOOOO long wondering just how the hell I can review such a fantastic film but I got nothing so...
Argo fuck it.
It's not that I was speechless by the film. I just don't know what to say that hasn't already been said by now so if you expect me to keep wracking my brain on how I'm gonna sum this film up...
Argo fuck yourself.
Don't mean to sound hostile, but please, just take my word for it and just...
Argo see it.
Expecting more corny Argo puns?
Argo fuck a goat.

Recent reviews

Review by Jonah ★★★½

Mrs. Shear approves
Review by nttvy ★★★

The angles and narrative seems good. But still not my cup of tea. Too dry for me.
Review by Reza Said ★★½

Argo (Ben Affleck, 2012) 5/10
During the Iran hostage crisis of 1979-81 six Americans manage to escape from the American embassy in Tehran and take refuge in the Canadian Ambassador's official residence. The CIA wants them rescued and exfiltration expert (Ben Affleck) devises a plan where a fake film shoot in Iran is planned (name of the film to be made: Argo) and the six hostages to be smuggled out impersonating the film's production crew. Affleck does a great job (as director) creating the hysteria and chaos of Iran at the time and the production design accurately captures that period. However, why this film is being treated as some kind of masterpiece is beyond my comprehension. It's a well made film but so are many others which slip through the cracks and don't get praised. Quite overrated and just in time for the Academy Awards for which it is being touted in major categories.
Review by claira ★★

Great performances and really neat editing choices but MAN, I was not feeling this one. Movies with this type of subject matter are really just not my thing.
Review by Michael Packner ★★★★

I can actually see why this won Best Picture, although it is clearly not my personal favorite film of the year, but I get it. It is entertaining throughout and well acted as well as directed. Definitely worth a watch if this is your bag.
Review by Roman Karpelcev ★★★★

I absolutely forgot Argo got a Best Picture award and decided to watch because I remembered liking the trailer. And somehow, a story with a known outcome was still so suspenseful and engaging and fun that it went really over my expectations for a CIA exfil movie.
Review by Richard ★★★★½

This is the best bad idea we have, sir. By far.
Review by AaronJMiller ★★★★

Very deserving picture of the Oscar. I thought it was well constructed, even though most of the cast outside of Affleck are not A-listers. It shows the craftsmanship involved at every level of this one.
Historically, it seems to do a fairly accurate job of portraying the event, if anything it underplays the role of the Canadians, but for a film is pretty good. Made me want to learn more, which is always a good thing for historical dramas.
Review by sag1ttariu5 ★★★½

FEB 25 UPDATE: the composition of this film is glorious, illuminating, astounding. the juxtaposition makes for subtle-not-so-subtle commentary on the importance of perspective. while there’s an implemented americanization of the POV, it offers wonderful variety with continuous backtracks to the Iranian half. enjoyed the soundtrack!