A widely acclaimed thriller that landed a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 96 percent, hauled in almost $250 million at the box office on a $45 million budget, and ended up winning three Academy Awards including Best Picture hardly sounds like a lightning rod for controversy, but Ben Affleck’s Argo found itself in the crosshairs more than once.
Participants in the operation that served as the backdrop for the semi-fictionalized retelling weren’t shy in pointing out the many failings and glaring examples of historical inaccuracy to be found throughout the film’s 120-minute running time, while Affleck came under fire for effectively casting himself in the lead role of Tony Mendez.
The erstwhile protagonist was of Mexican descent, and while plenty of detractors came forward to blast the actor for taking the part, Mendez himself said he didn’t mind seeing as he himself didn’t personally identify as Hispanic. Contentiousness aside, Argo manages to spin a yarn so implausible that it could only be true in hugely entertaining fashion, even if many were expecting Ang Lee’s Life of Pi to ultimately walk away with the industry’s top prize at the Oscars.
10 years later, and the daring rescue mission that saw the CIA and State Department concoct a scheme involving a fake sci-fi film, Canadian diplomats, and no shortage of subterfuge and political sleight-of-hand has been making a daring escape of its own up the streaming charts.
Per FlixPatrol, Argo has been snaking its way up the iTunes global rankings, having overcome the backlash of its initial release to find long-lasting life as a perennially popular act of cinematic escapism.