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The Amateur Movie Review: The best scene in The Amateur – one that got a hearty laugh collectively from the audience in my theatre – was when the protagonist tries to break into a target’s flat by learning how to pick a lock from a YouTube tutorial. It’s a genuinely funny moment in what is otherwise a serious thriller (with a few scattered laughs), loaded with satire and living up to the film’s title: an amateur trying to pull off a high-stakes mission without any real know-how. The Amateur: Rachel Brosnahan, Laurence Fishburne Join Cast of Rami Malek Starrer.
But ironically, apart from that scene, the protagonist in The Amateur doesn’t really stay true to that title. For all his supposed inexperience, he ends up doing things that could easily make him one of the greatest assassins ever – thanks to some overly convenient tech wizardry and plot armour. He might not have the nerve to pull the trigger, but the film certainly gives him the skills to do everything else.
Directed by James Hawes and based on a novel written in the ’80s but adapted for present times, The Amateur centres on Charlie Heller (Rami Malek), a CIA cryptographer. He feels like a much more subdued version of Malek’s Mr Robot character – only now, he’s sorted out his split personality and settled down with a beautiful wife. That wife is Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), and since this is a revenge thriller, you can guess what happens to her. Yep, she heads to London for a meeting and ends up killed in a hostage situation by a few terrorists.
Watch The Trailer of ‘The Amateur’:
A grieving Charlie is determined to take revenge himself, despite his boss, Deputy Director Alex Moore (Holt McCallany), insisting the agency will handle it. But Charlie is resolute – even if it means blackmailing his shady superior to get the resources he needs.
‘The Amateur’ Movie Review – The Return of the Family Revenge Drama
The Amateur taps into a kind of cinema we don’t see much these days: a regular family man going on a revenge spree after a personal tragedy. Maybe that’s because there’s nothing new left to say in the genre. The film tries to shake things up with an unconventional hero and unique kill methods – but it still falls into predictable territory.
A Still From The Amateur
I won’t deny there are some cool moments, like the aforementioned YouTube sequence, or a slick poolside assassination involving a glass terrace (which the trailer spoils, by the way). Just don’t ask how Charlie pulls off that elaborate hit in a luxury hotel without being spotted. His only real ally is a hacker-spy, Inquiline (Caitríona Balfe), who’s stuck in Turkey and can’t leave her home.
‘The Amateur’ Movie Review – Convenient Storytelling With Head-Racking Implausibilties
That’s the problem with The Amateur – its screenplay doesn’t do enough to make Charlie’s transformation believable. He starts off as an everyday IT guy at the CIA, good with tech but not field-trained. That lets other characters act surprised when he pulls off wild stunts – but the leap from desk jockey to a Jason Bourne-level operative (with the tech innovation skills of Q) is hardly convincing.
I could have overlooked the improbabilities if the film had been more fun, or better paced, or just better edited. The first half deals with Sarah’s death, Charlie’s grief, and his sudden decision to blackmail his boss for weapons training. Enter Henderson (Laurence Fishburne, doing what Laurence Fishburne does), the agent reluctantly tasked with prepping Charlie, and it moves on a slow pace as if it wants to be a cerebral drama.
A Still From The Amateur
Aside from one point – confirming that Charlie can’t kill in close quarters – this training arc is brushed aside quickly so the story can zip off to Europe for the revenge tour. Admittedly, the film picks up a bit here, especially when Charlie tracks down a target to an allergy clinic (a surprisingly original place for a showdown, I must say).
But still, it’s hard not to question how Charlie hops from city to city, pulling off crimes – sometimes in broad daylight – and never facing real consequences. The CIA’s global reach is shown, but surely France and Spain have their own surveillance? In one hotel-set sequence (featuring the film’s best kill), Charlie is pursued by two CIA agents – but that subplot barely matters as he still gets his target and walks away without a hitch.
‘The Amateur’ Movie Review – Pacing is Never a Friend
After spending more than an hour on setup and killing just one person (in the most clichéd way possible), The Amateur suddenly accelerates through the remaining three targets in the last 40 minutes. It also shoehorns in the subplot with Balfe’s Inquiline, which ends on a predictably downbeat note. The emotional weight of Charlie’s actions – and their impact on those around him – barely registers with him, or with us.
A Still From The Amateur
The most uneven sequence in the film comes during the climax, when Charlie finally confronts the main antagonist, played by a terrific actor who, unfortunately, isn’t given enough screen time to make a lasting impact. It’s here that Charlie’s methods are interrogated; his modus operandi of remote killings is scrutinised, revealing his fear of facing the moral weight of close-quarter executions. It’s a solid reflective moment (for us more than the hero) – too bad it’s immediately followed by yet another conveniently staged showcase of Charlie’s ‘brilliance’, one that feels as implausible as it is unsatisfying. Not quite the high the film was aiming for. No Time To Die Movie Review: Daniel Craig’s Final Outing as James Bond 007 is an Absolute Delight.
A Still From The Amateur
As for the performances, we’ve seen Rami Malek operate in this space before in how he has approached the character, albeit with a stronger impact in earlier roles. He brings the needed intensity and vulnerability, but even he can’t fully sell Charlie’s transformation from coder to a wily avenger.
Among the supporting cast, Holt McCallany is convincingly sleazy as Charlie’s corrupt superior. Rachel Brosnahan, by virtue of her star power, remains a presence in the film beyond her character’s death, appearing in flashbacks and hallucinations. Jon Bernthal appears briefly in two scenes – a role that arguably could have been better utilised by Laurence Fishburne. And while Caitríona Balfe’s Russian accent can be a bit distracting, she does a decent job as the reclusive spy with a tragic backstory. Still, her subplot deserved a stronger arc and a more resonant conclusion.
‘The Amateur’ Movie Review – Final Thoughts
The Amateur tries to be a grounded, character-driven revenge thriller with a tech twist, but it leans too heavily on convenience and genre clichés to truly land. While there are glimpses of originality and a few standout moments (some laughs too), they’re not enough to mask the screenplay implausibilities or the hackneyed pacing.
(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 09, 2025 05:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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