The Amateur, directed by James Hawes and starring Rami Malek, attempts to flip the familiar revenge thriller formula by trading bullets for brains. Instead of centering on a grizzled assassin or rogue agent, it follows Charlie Heller, a quiet CIA cryptographer driven by grief and rage after his wife is killed in a terrorist attack in London. But despite that fresh angle, The Amateur never truly distinguishes itself from the well-worn path it’s walking.
Malek, known for his introspective, internalized performances, fits the bill as a cerebral lead. But as Heller, he’s too emotionally distant to make the stakes feel personal. The premise promises a twist on the John Wick and Jason Bourne archetype—Heller is no trained killer, just an intelligent man desperate for justice. That should make for compelling drama, especially with his lack of combat experience making each encounter feel more dangerous. Instead, most of the tension fizzles out thanks to flat direction, clunky exposition, and underwhelming action sequences that feel ripped from a generic streaming thriller.
To its credit, The Amateur does take a more grounded approach, avoiding slick choreography in favor of makeshift bombs and improvised escapes. Heller leans on logic, tech, and occasional guidance from Henderson, a former trainer played by Laurence Fishburne. Fishburne brings a weary gravitas to his role, helping to prop up scenes that would otherwise feel rote. Jon Bernthal also injects energy in his limited screen time as one of Heller’s colleagues, while Rachel Brosnahan and Holt McCallany do what they can with underwritten roles. McCallany, in particular, plays the Special Activities Center Director with reliable stoicism, though he’s stuck in a thankless part that feels cribbed from better espionage films.
The real issue with The Amateur is that it simply lacks flavor. The script, reportedly based on Robert Littell’s 1981 novel but feeling eerily modernized into mediocrity, moves through plot beats like a checklist. Terrorist plot. Revenge mission. Internal mole. Big betrayal. None of it sticks. There’s little charisma between characters, and the emotional core—Heller’s undying devotion to his wife—never truly lands. Malek’s performance is technically solid, but too detached to make the grief feel urgent or raw. One can’t help but wonder if an actor like Andrew Garfield, with his more expressive emotional range (as seen in We Live in Time), might have brought more pathos and weight to Heller’s motivations.
James Hawes shows basic competence behind the camera but little style or flair. Scenes are competently staged, but rarely exciting or visually memorable. The tone and visual palette is so muted it undercuts the stakes, making a potentially gritty, high-tension thriller feel like a long episode of a procedural show.
READ MORE MOVIE REVIEWS: Cloud, Drop, Final Destination Bloodlines
Ultimately, The Amateur plays like a collage of better films. It’s not egregiously bad—just forgettable, over-familiar, and often flat. Despite flashes of life from its supporting cast and a premise that could’ve breathed new life into the spy genre, this is a film that fizzles rather than detonates. If you’re looking for the next Mission: Impossible or Bourne, this isn’t it. It’s not even a great slow-burn alternative. It’s just… there.
Score: 5/10
The Amateur (2025)
- Cast: Rami Malek, Holt McCallany, Danny Sapani, Rachel Brosnahan, Michael Stuhlbarg, Laurence Fishburne, Julianne Nicholson, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal
- Director: James Hawes
- Genre: Action, Thriller
- Runtime: 123 minutes
- Rated: PG-13
- Release Date: April 11, 2025
- Movies Like The Amateur: Black Bag, The Gray Man, The Killer, More Movies Like The Amateur
