Argo

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2:25

Argo

R

2012

2h 0m

History

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Biography

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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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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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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Sep 7, 2017

A

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.

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Jonathan Robbins

Film Comment Magazine

Jan 13, 2015

Affleck is still building up his chops as a director, but the intelligence and ambition he brings to filmmaking are particularly apparent in Argo.

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Anthony Quinn

Independent (UK)

Jan 13, 2015

5/5

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.

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Anushka Halve

Film Companion

Dec 12, 2023

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.

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Mark Johnson

Awards Daily

Jun 27, 2023

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.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Sep 23, 2022

4/4

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.

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Henry D

@Henry_Domke 5 days ago

Still exceptionally entertaining on a third viewing. The story draws you in immediately and moves briskly, with precise editing steadily building the tension. Alan Arkin and John Goodman provide just the right amount of humor. Thoroughly satisfying, even when you know how it ends.

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J H

@UpstateNYThriller Oct 9, 2026

9/10 Drama, Spy International, Suspense, 80s Great Ben Afflack Movie where he plays CIA operative to break hostages out of 1980s Iran. John Goodman in it as well.

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Matthew M

@matthew994411 Oct 7, 2026

Great true story movie with Ben affleck. Directed it

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Kyle M

@RT77296778 Sep 22, 2026

Ben Affleck’s directorial performance replicates his role’s cautious conviction that slickly expresses the circumstantially dire tension with an atmospheric grip, heightened by a tautly written screenplay adjacent to the attributively brilliant performances fulfilling the thrilling fragility with humanistic intellect. (A-)

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Angelo C

@RT29835010 Sep 4, 2026

Great movie can’t believe Ben Affleck could do a movie like this. It’s very tense special towards the end. Scared the crap out of me. Even though in real life, it didn’t happen this way. I could see the CIA doing something like this. Very entertaining good job, Ben.

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Kilo R

@Kgrita Aug 28, 2026

True story. Great cast. I couldn't look away. Top notch Ben Affleck film.

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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, George Clooney
Screenwriter: Chris Terrio
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Smokehouse Pictures, Warner Bros., GK Films, Smoke House
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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