The Amateur (2025) - Film Review

      The Amateur, 2025.

      Directed by James Hawes.

      Starring Rami Malek, Michael Stuhlbarg, Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, Jon Bernthal, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Evan Milton, Caitríona Balfe, Nick Mills, Tiffany Gray, Adrian Martinez, Kate Sumpter, David Mills, Anita Anand, Ryan Chilcote, Barbara Probst, Joseph Millson, Marc Rissmann, and Danny Sapani.

      SYNOPSIS:

      After his wife is killed in a terrorist attack in London and the CIA refuses to take action, a decoder decides to take matters into his own hands.

      In The Amateur, Rami Malek portrays Charlie Heller, a puzzle enthusiast happily working in the CIA's decryption department. He spends his days solving codes and gathering intel from an anonymous hacker known as Inquiline. His life contrasts sharply with that of his wife Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), whose globetrotting job keeps her away frequently. Their differing lifestyles raise questions about their romantic relationship, yet Charlie promises to join her on her travels one day.

      Charlie is the type who can lose himself in his work, becoming oblivious to his once-favored life. While Sarah is away for a conference in London, Charlie uncovers disturbing unauthorized operations led by Director Moore (Holt McCallany), unbeknownst to his superior, Director O’Brien (Julianne Nicholson). He becomes increasingly engrossed in his findings, neglecting to have an in-depth conversation when Sarah calls. Eventually, coworkers advise him to drop the matter after hinting at what he has uncovered. He returns home, attempts to reach his wife, and falls asleep.

      The following day, Charlie's life is shattered when he learns of a terrorist attack during Sarah’s conference, which resulted in her death. Director Moore asserts that those responsible will be brought to justice, but Charlie's analysis of surveillance footage reveals that the CIA already possesses this information, implicating the mercenaries involved in Sarah's death.

      In a mix of denial and rage, Charlie decides to channel his grief into a blackmail scheme. He demands CIA field training to kill those involved or else he will leak incriminating evidence of their war crimes to journalists. The corrupt CIA directors cannot discern whether Charlie is bluffing, as he has created a challenge for them while embarking on his quest. This dynamic offers a refreshing twist as opposed to the usual narrative of the protagonist facing unexpected revelations. McCallany’s portrayal is convincingly intimidating, suggesting we should be relieved he isn’t a CIA agent in real life.

      Soon after, Charlie begins his training with Agent Henderson (Laurence Fishburne), who bluntly asserts that Charlie lacks the killer instinct. It becomes evident that he struggles with firearms, allowing director James Hawes (with a script by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli, based on Robert Littell's book) to inject humor into the notion of an average individual attempting such perilous work. This playful tone fades as Charlie leans into his technological skills, but the lighter moments are enjoyable while they last.

      Surprisingly, the film also offers a somewhat clichéd yet impactful exploration of grief, with various characters questioning whether pursuing vengeance is the right path for Charlie and whether it aligns with what Sarah would have wanted. At times, Charlie seems to convince himself his actions are not solely for him. Without revealing too much, he also encounters another individual (Caitríona Balfe) coping with the loss of a loved one in a similar profession.

      Frustratingly, The Amateur is populated by supporting characters who either lack meaningful roles or whose relationships with Charlie are not fully developed. This connection, which seems to be the film's emotional core, is introduced late, rushed through, and ultimately fails to deliver the depth it aspires to. Jon Bernthal plays another field operative (a life Charlie allegedly saved from his desk role), yet he has little narrative relevance, appearing only in a pivotal moment. It's hard to believe these characters were so poorly crafted in the source material. By the conclusion, even Fishburne feels underutilized, serving merely as a setup for potential sequels.

      Structurally, The Amateur depicts Charlie traveling from target to target, applying his tech skills to devise elaborate plans to eliminate each one without direct harm, all while trying to extract information about their leader. However, the film fails to clarify how he achieves these feats, making them often seem too far-fetched to take seriously, albeit still entertaining. This approach sets it apart from the usual action-packed formula of comparable films, almost like an unofficial adaptation of the video game Watch Dogs.

      Among Charlie's wild schemes is the manipulation of a sky pool's glass to break if he fails to obtain certain information, giving the target a chance to escape (captured in a stunning sequence by cinematographer Martin Ruhe, presenting Charlie