Argo (2012)
Where to Watch
- Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a hidden easter egg referencing Ben Affleck's previous film in the background of the opening scene.
- During the filming of Argo, Ben Affleck improvised one of the most famous lines in the movie.
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
Argo is a 2012 American historical thriller directed by and starring Ben Affleck, based on the true story of the Canadian Caper β the covert rescue of six American diplomats who escaped the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. Affleck plays Tony Mendez, a CIA exfiltration specialist who devises an audacious plan: create a fake Canadian film production company, announce they are scouting locations in Iran for a science fiction movie called "Argo," and smuggle the six Americans out of the country disguised as the film crew. Alan Arkin and John Goodman provide darkly comic relief as the Hollywood producer and makeup artist who help make the fake production convincing.
Ben Affleck's direction built excruciating tension from a story whose outcome β the diplomats survived β was already known, a considerable feat of filmmaking craft. The climactic airport sequence, in which the diplomats must pass through multiple Iranian security checkpoints using their fake identities, was one of the most nerve-wracking sequences in modern thriller cinema. Argo won three Academy Awards including Best Picture, with Affleck notably not nominated for Best Director despite widespread expectation.
The film earned $232 million worldwide on a $44 million budget.
