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Review: ‘The Amateur’ is a Taut and Gripping Spy-Revenge Thriller that’s Anything but Amateurish
April 10, 2025Ben MK
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From James Bond to Ethan Hunt, the espionage thriller is a genre many moviegoers have become intimately familiar with, thanks to the blockbuster cachet these films typically carry with them, not to mention the Hollywood star power that often fuels them. For every Bourne Supremacy, Dead Reckoning and Skyfall, however, there's a Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Bridge of Spies and Three Days of the Condor. And while this latter category of movies may lack the jaw-dropping action of the former, they more than make up for it with edge-of-your-seat suspense and masterful acting performances. Enter The Amateur, a spy thriller that straddles the line between these two different sides of the genre, in which Rami Malek plays a mild-mannered CIA analyst named Charlie Heller. One of the best and brightest minds at the George Bush Center for Intelligence in Virginia, Charlie's world is turned upside down when his wife, Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), is murdered while attending a business conference in London. But although some husbands might be utterly devastated by the tragic loss, Charlie channels his emotions into something significantly more dangerous and productive. Angry that the CIA shows little interest in capturing the four individuals responsible for his wife's death, Charlie sets into motion a plan to take matters into his own hands. In order to do so, however, it'll take more than just a little determination. So when he comes across highly classified cables detailing his boss' (Holt McCallany) involvement in some unsanctioned black ops, Charlie decides to use the information to blackmail his higher-ups into giving him the training he needs for his mission of vengeance. Much to his surprise, Charlie's daring strategy works, and it's not long before he finds himself stuffing his backpack full of fake passports and making his way to such globe-trotting locales as London, Paris and Russia. Deciphering and following the trail of digital breadcrumbs left behind by our four suspects, he then sets out to pay each of them a visit — all in the hopes of ultimately coming face to face with Horst Schiller (Michael Stuhlbarg), the man responsible for pulling the trigger and killing his wife. What Charlie doesn't expect, though, is to be tracked himself by a colonel named Henderson (Laurence Fishburne), who also happens to be the man initially tasked with training him. But can Charlie outwit and outrun the very agency he's devoted much of his professional life to? Or will they stop him before he can complete his quest for vigilante justice? With some help from a covert Russian informant codenamed Inquiline (Caitríona Balfe), Charlie might just stand a chance at setting things right. The only question is — what will his self-appointed mission cost him when all is said and done? Directed by James Hawes and adapted from the 1981 bestseller by Robert Littell, the result is a gripping blend of espionage drama and revenge thriller that doesn't stray too far from the formula of either genre. Yet, despite the vague sense of déjà vu audiences will inevitably feel while watching The Amateur, there's something inherently novel and compelling about watching Malek's tech-savvy and atypical vigilante single-handedly vanquish his combat-ready foes. Whether it's by pumping a room full of sunflower pollen, triggering a massive IED explosion, or shattering a glass pool spanning the empty space between two high-rises, Charlie's unique modus operandi makes for some of the film's most entertaining sequences. What truly sets this movie apart from other thrillers of the same ilk, however, is Malek's genuinely affecting performance as a grieving widower. Factor in the stellar supporting cast, which also includes Julianne Nicholson and Jon Bernthal, and you have the makings of a thriller that's absolutely worthy of being compared to some of the best the genre has to offer. Make no mistake, if you're looking for a film that's as action-packed and bombastic as the Mission: Impossible and 007 franchises, this isn't it. If you're in the mood for a movie that serves up equal doses of action, drama and intrigue, on the other hand, then The Amateur is definitely as professional as it gets. The Amateur releases March 11th, 2025 from 20th Century Studios. The film has an MPAA rating of PG-13 for some strong violence, and language. Its runtime is 2 hrs. 3 min. |
