Rami Malek and Laurence Fishburne lead the cast of this vigilante action spy film. Our JP gives his thoughts on “The Amateur.”
The Amateur (2025 film)
20th Century Studios
- Directed by James Hawes
- Screenplay by Ken Nolan, Gary Spinelli
- Based on The Amateur by Robert Littell
- Produced by Hutch Parker, Dan Wilson, Rami Malek, Joel B. Michaels
- Starring Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Michael Stuhlbarg, Laurence Fishburne
Studio Synopsis:
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.
J.P.’s Take:
Don’t underestimate him is the tagline for such a thriller as “The Amateur,” which is certainly indicative of the premise.
You’d expect “The Amateur” to be James Bond or Jason Bourne-like antics, complete with high tech gadgets and extreme car chases; however, this is a simmering low key thriller that involves an unlikely hero. While films of this genre can easily veer off course or achieve remarkable success, “The Amateur” stands out as a cleverly crafted, lightweight suspense thriller.
This is one of those “desperate times call for desperate measures” moments, which takes an average Joe, like Charlie Heller (Rami Malek), who is of high intelligence, and places him in some pretty high stakes situations. It was that element that drew me to this film in the first place. If someone you loved was caught in a life or death state of affairs how far would you go to save or avenge them? And this film doesn’t wash over its viewers with political mumbo jumbo, instead it’s an anecdote of drama and revenge.
Charlie, a CIA cryptographer, nearly dons a cape as he enlists the aid of an elite General named Robert “Hendo” Henderson (Laurence Fishburne). After Charlie’s wife is killed in a terrorist attack in London, Charlie turns vigilante and pulls some heady stunts in order to move in on his wife’s killers. Here’s the hiccup: Charlie may be a loving husband and an astute learner, yet he’s not a trigger puller. Henderson obviously knows this. What quickly bleached that out of my mind is watching Charlie go to work on his plan. He was methodical in his approach and systematically took down his targets with deadly results. This includes having the knack for creating bombs on the spot, in which he doesn’t just blow up baddies for the sake of it; he gives his opponents an ultimatum first.
To a degree I felt like Charlie was totally in over his head in believing he could take on such a death-dealing mission. Once Henderson reluctantly decided to mentor him and show him the ropes, Charles turned into a one-man army, with the help of some unsuspecting characters in shadowy places.
Award-winning actor Rami Malek — who is remembered for TV’s “Mr. Robot” and playing Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury in the biographical film, “Bohemian Rhapsody” — kept this thrilling, whodunit alive with understated, yet, effective performance. Malek wears his emotions on his face literally and executes his convictions with fervor as Heller. Laurence Fishburne is a veteran actor who can convince you he’s the right man for the job as the steel hearted, yet kindly, General Robert Henderson. Supporting them are other notable performers such “Daredevil: Born Again’s” Jon Bernthal (playing Jackson O’Brien, a.k.a. The Bear, a CIA operative), “Doctor Strange’s” Michael Stulhbarg (Horst Schiller), “Mare of Easttown’s” Julianne Nicholson (CIA Director Samantha O’Brien), and “Outlander’s” Caitríona Balfe (Inquiline / Davies), just to name a few.
I didn’t catch it at first, but this is a remake of the 1981 film of the same title, which is based on the Robert Littell novel, also titled “The Amateur.”
I was thankful that the ending wasn’t hasty or cliché; it concluded in a satisfying manner without adding more violence.
“The Amateur” has its highlights and was actually slightly unnerving. I was glad to come along for the ride.
Official Site: The Amateur
