MOVIE SCENE CANADA
THE AMATEUR
​I 20th Century Studios I April 11, 2025 I 123 mins. I
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68%
* As of 4/8/25
CAST:
Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitriona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Adrian Martinez
DIRECTOR(S):
James Hawes
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Charlie Heller (Rami Malek) is a brilliant but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.
REVIEW BY: Darren Zakus - 4/8/25
RATING 3.5 out of 5
The Amateur is a throwback to the adult spy thrillers of yesteryear, bolstering a strong character driven storytelling and a cold blooded, emotional tale of revenge all held together by a great Rami Malek, delivering a riveting and exciting big screen outing.
Back in the 1990s, spy thrillers were all the rage in Hollywood. From classics like The Hunt for Red October and The Fugitive, the two Harrison Ford starring Jack Ryan films, and The Saint starring the late Val Kilmer, there was a healthy dose of espionage thrillers less focused on action sequences and aimed at adult audiences. Sadly, such films have become less common in today’s Hollywood which is more concerned about franchises and superheroes, but there have been some solid entries recently in the genre with titles like Red Sparrow and this year’s Black Bag. Joining these films, is the latest film from director James Hawes starring Rami Malek: The Amateur. Spinning a gripping tale of revenge within the intelligent, high-tech and character focused narrative that both thrills and captivates for the entire runtime, with a strong turn from Malek in the lead role and some expertly crafted set pieces, The Amateur represents a long overdue return to the espionage thriller from the studio system that is pure entertainment from start to finish.
Not all spy based thrillers need explosive action sequences galore like the James Bond and Mission: Impossible franchises. Some just require a high level of intellect, technology and a murky world to play out in, and The Amateur has that in spades. Based on the novel of the same name by Robert Littell, the film follows a CIA cryptographer on an unsanctioned mission to avenge the death of his wife after he learns dark secrets buried within the agency that is preventing any meaningful action being taken by the CIA to track down the terrorists who took his wife’s life. While the first act is a little slow moving as it carefully builds the grief that our central character is feeling, the conspiracy within the CIA and every calculated move by Charles Heller to set up the second and third act, once Charles goes rogue on his mission, the film becomes the riveting thriller that adult audiences will devour. Much of the film involves looking at computer screens as characters decipher hidden truths within lines of code and altered documents or surveil individuals, which can be tricky to make engaging for viewers, but Ken Nolan’s screenplay manages to never lose the audience’s attention while doing so. The secret to doing so: while technology and information is important to the story, it's a human story about revenge and loss that is understandable to the audience, ensuring that they care for Charles at every point in the film. Even if the story does not have any shocking reveals that are often a hallmark of the spy thriller genre, it’s a cold blooded tale of revenge as we watch Charles flirt with the same darkness inherent within the individuals he is tracking, having the audience cautiously watch to see if Charles is going to turn out just like the individuals he is hunting down. Sharing similarities to the writings of Robert Ludlum, this is prime adult oriented storytelling that relies on character, plot and intention, and with Hawes in the director’s chair, the film never wavers for a second.
Being an espionage revenge thriller, there are specific elements that are required for the film to work, and The Amateur checks all the boxes. A muted colour palette to the film visually emulates the despair of Malek’s Charles as he mourns the loss of his wife and embarks on a globe-trotting mission to seek revenge against the individuals that took her life, inserting himself into a dangerous shadow world. Shot on location in the United Kingdom, France and Turkey, the real life locations add a sense of excitement to the entire film, capturing the feeling of the grand spy thrillers of yesteryear. The revenge sequences themselves are exciting set pieces, brilliantly shot and expertly choreographed to deliver thrilling set pieces to play out on the big screen. And the cherry on top of the film’s technicals: an energizing and gripping musical score from the great Volker Bertelmann, which is undoubtedly the film’s secret weapon.
Holding the entire film together is Malek’s lead performance as Charles Heller. Malek has often played slightly socially awkward characters, and Heller is no exception to that stereotype. Deeply intelligent and always two steps ahead of every other character in this film, Malek makes Heller a intriguing mix of Jack Ryan and Jason Bourne, that when combined with the sorrow and grief that fuels Heller’s need for revenge which Malek makes the audience grieve alongside Heller, you have one compelling protagonist to root for throughout the film. It’s all played with a sympathy and calculating nature by Malek that keeps this slower plotted thriller captivating, having the audience fearful of whether Heller will cross that line and become a cold blooded killer like the individuals he is hunting down. The supporting cast is stacked to say the least, featuring some of the most talented actors working today like Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson and Michael Stuhlbarg. Every single one of them is flawless while on screen, especially Fishburne who is endlessly entertaining alongside Malek, but every single one of their characters is vastly underused by the screenplay, never giving this supporting cast the material to take this thriller to the next level.
You can never have too many good spy thrillers, and not only is The Amateur exactly that, it goes back to the intelligence and surveillance bread and butter of the genre. While it has some strong action set pieces, the focus is on the emotionally charged revenge mission that Rami Malek’s Charles Heller finds himself on, under the talented direction of James Hawes and with an impressive musical score from Volker Bertelmann, audiences are in for one thrilling ride. With a strong performance by Rami Malek in the lead role pulling together the strong narrative and impressive set pieces to create a globe-trotting adventure, The Amateur easily becomes a thrilling, calculated espionage revenge thriller that adult viewers deserve.