Betrayal, cover-ups, blackmail, and revenge are at the core of the spy action thriller The Amateur. Oscar winner Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) stars as CIA master decoder Charlie Heller, who loves three things most in the world: decoding, puzzles, and his lovely wife Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan, Lois Lane in the 2025 Superman film). Life is going well for Charlie until tragedy strikes when his wife is killed during a terrorist attack while on a business trip in London.
Overwhelmed by grief and anger, Charlie becomes focused on finding those directly responsible for Sarah’s death. He grows exasperated when he presents his work of finding three out of the four terrorists’ locations to his superiors, who refuse to act on it and suggest he take time off to grieve.
Instead, Charlie forces his superiors, by using certain secret intelligence, to have him trained as a field agent so he can track down and kill the terrorists. This leads to Charlie meeting and training with Henderson (Laurence Fishburne, John Wick: Chapter 4), who, after a few days, tells Charlie, “You can’t do what I do no matter how much I train you. You’re just not a killer.” But Charlie, with his brilliant decoding methods and gift of being skilled at making explosives out of different compounds, becomes a lethal, determined rogue assassin.
So, with his genius mind, new bomb-making talents, and a desperate need for revenge, Charlie sets out on an extremely dangerous trek across the globe to hunt down and kill the terrorists responsible for Sarah’s death.
The Amateur succeeds due to the exceptional performances of the cast, particularly Rami Malek, and a meticulously crafted script. It’s a thinking man’s revenge thriller where brains and knowledge can be just as lethal as a gun or knife.
Malek delivers another memorable performance as Charlie, the brilliant decoder who becomes determined to avenge his wife’s death. Malek wonderfully portrays the pain, guilt, and anger that fill Charlie’s soul where the love of his wife and life used to be. Malek also shows how Charlie hasn’t lost all of his humanity. He sets up “terrorist traps” of death that the murderers of his wife might be able to escape if they give him the answers and information he demands.
Laurence Fishburne is solid as Henderson, Charlie’s trainer at the CIA who has been and still is a cold, ruthless killer for the agency. The scenes with Fishburne and Malek are edgy and intense.
Holt McCallany is perfectly cast as Director Moore, Charlie’s boss and the man who handles the dark and shady parts of the CIA. McCallany shows both the sympathetic and understanding side of Moore as well as his ruthless political side and his determination to handle things his own way.
Sadly, the only flaw in the film is the lack of chemistry between Malek and Rachel Brosnahan, who plays his wife, Sarah. The scenes between them early in the film before she dies seem uneven and awkward. The flashback scene where Sarah surprises Charlie with a special birthday gift feels particularly forced. This is improved on later in the film when Charlie keeps seeing Sarah, almost like a ghost near him, during the few quiet moments he has between hunting and avenging. The scene where Charlie gazes at her with affection as he sees her lying on the bed in his hotel room, followed by the deep sadness in his eyes when he realizes that it’s only in his imagination, is truly heartbreaking.
Compelling, smartly written, and featuring strong performances, The Amateur is an enjoyable and suspenseful spy revenge thriller that’s smart, stylish, and engaging.
GRADE: B
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: April 11, 2025
Running Time: 2 hours 3 minutes
Directed By: James Hawes
Studio: 20th Century Studios
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