If you’ve ever watched a CIA thriller and thought, “Wait, what if the nerdy cryptographer was the one going full John Wick?”—The Amateur is basically that fever dream come to life. Rami Malek ditches the hacker hoodie for a gun and a dead-serious revenge mission, and yes, it’s exactly as chaotic as it sounds.
So here’s the gist: Charles Heller, CIA code-cracker by day, grieving widower by…well, also day (and night), decides the agency isn’t moving fast enough after his wife is killed in a terrorist attack. Instead of filing HR complaints or rage-quitting like the rest of us, he blackmails his way into the field. Totally normal behavior.
Malek delivers a performance that’s moody, intense, and just a little unsettling—which works, honestly. He’s not your usual action hero, and the film leans hard into that. It’s giving “I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m doing it anyway,” and that makes his journey feel kinda raw. Some critics think he’s a bit too restrained, but let’s be real—he’s not here to charm us; he’s here to blow up bad guys and challenge the CIA’s paperwork obsession.
Director James Hawes (who’s clearly watched every Bond movie ever) goes for this slick-but-sombre tone. The cinematography is tight, with wide European city shots, dimly-lit back alleys, and enough moody stares to start a perfume ad campaign. You’ll get solid action scenes, but they’re spaced out with heavy moments of “Wait, am I the villain?” self-reflection. Think Bourne Identity on Ambien, but like…still kinda cool.
Here’s the thing: The Amateur isn’t a popcorn-munching action fest. It’s more of a “thinky thriller” that wants you to sit with the moral tension. But if you’re into the whole rogue-agent-vs-broken-system vibe, with a side of grief and identity crisis, this one’s got depth. If you just want explosions and chase scenes every ten minutes, maybe queue up Mission: Impossible instead.
The Amateur tries to outsmart the genre—and mostly pulls it off. It’s not flawless, but it has grit, brains, and a version of Rami Malek that feels strangely real in a world full of over-polished spies. Not your average action flick… but definitely not boring.
📽️ Rating: 7/10
🍿 Best Watched When: You want a thriller with brains and brooding!