Film Review: THE AMATEUR – Rami Malek Transforms Grief into Grit in This Gripping Espionage Thriller
THE AMATEUR, the latest addition to 20th Century Studios’ slate of thrillers, is an unflinching, globe-trotting ride of vengeance, loss, and redemption—anchored by a riveting performance from Rami Malek. Directed with clinical precision by James Hawes and adapted from Robert Littell’s novel by screenwriters Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli, this espionage thriller smartly straddles the line between cerebral spy drama and pulse-pounding action.
Malek plays Charlie Heller, a brilliant but socially withdrawn CIA decoder working in the shadowy corners of Langley—quite literally, as his office is buried in the agency’s basement. Living a life of quiet purpose, Charlie is no field agent—he’s the kind of man whose superpower is linguistic logic and algorithmic fluency. But everything changes when his wife is killed in a terrorist bombing in London, a gut-wrenching sequence that hits like a sucker punch in the film’s opening act. The tragedy pushes Charlie out of his intellectual shell and into a world far more violent than he’s prepared for.
When his higher-ups at the CIA, played with quiet menace and frustrating bureaucracy by Michael Stuhlbarg and Holt McCallany, dismiss his pleas for action, Charlie decides to go rogue. What follows is a haunting and often heart-racing journey of revenge and discovery, as Charlie uses his intellect—and growing field smarts—to navigate a treacherous underworld of spies, terrorists, and shifting alliances.
Malek is magnetic throughout. He plays Charlie not as an action hero in the traditional sense, but as a grieving man who weaponizes his pain into purpose. His transformation from meek analyst to unrelenting avenger is never rushed or overplayed; it unfolds with psychological depth and raw emotion. There are shades of The Bourne Identity, but filtered through a more introspective and emotionally complex lens. Malek doesn't need to shout or swagger—his quiet intensity, his controlled desperation, makes Charlie a more compelling protagonist than many of his genre counterparts.
Backing him is a formidable supporting cast. Laurence Fishburne lends gravitas and world-weariness to his role as a seasoned CIA operative with ambiguous motives. Rachel Brosnahan and Caitríona Balfe both deliver strong, nuanced performances as women entangled in the spy web—each with agendas that challenge Charlie’s view of the truth. Jon Bernthal, as always, brings a grounded physicality to the screen, while Julianne Nicholson and Adrian Martinez offer key emotional and narrative pivots that deepen the story's stakes.
Director James Hawes, known for his work on Black Mirror and Slow Horses, brings his television-honed sense of pacing and atmosphere to the big screen with a confident hand. There’s a cold, precise quality to the cinematography, echoing the procedural nature of intelligence work, yet moments of personal vulnerability are allowed to bleed through the otherwise chilly aesthetic. From the gray corridors of Langley to the foggy alleys of Prague and the neon-lit corners of Istanbul, Hawes paints a world that feels both expansive and claustrophobic—a fitting dichotomy for a man on the run with nowhere to turn.
The screenplay, adapted by Nolan (Black Hawk Down) and Spinelli (American Made), is taut and intelligently constructed. It avoids excessive exposition, allowing the audience to piece together motivations and betrayals alongside Charlie. Dialogue is spare but sharp, and while the plot is densely packed with twists, it never loses its emotional throughline: a man in mourning, seeking justice in a world where justice often comes at the cost of morality.
The film’s action sequences are not bombastic but efficient—realistic in their execution and emotionally resonant. When Charlie is forced into a violent encounter, there’s no slick choreography or superheroic prowess; instead, we see a man surviving by wit, instinct, and desperation. It’s refreshing in a genre often overrun by stylized violence. The intelligence work depicted here feels earned, not glamorized, and lends the film a grounded realism that sets it apart from more fantastical spy thrillers.
One of the film’s greatest strengths lies in its willingness to slow down. The moments of quiet introspection give THE AMATEUR room to breathe, allowing both the character and the viewer space to process the emotional weight of the story. These pauses never feel like momentum-killers; instead, they provide a deeper resonance, making the bursts of action more impactful and the character arcs more meaningful. In a genre that often rushes from explosion to explosion, Hawes and his team make a bold and effective choice to let silence speak just as loudly as gunfire.
Musically, the score is minimalist and moody, underscoring the psychological tension rather than overpowering it. At times it evokes the nerve-jangling unease of early John Powell or even the late Jóhann Jóhannsson—suggesting a sense of inevitability that builds toward the film’s climax.
In the end, THE AMATEUR is less about international intrigue than it is about personal reckoning. It's a story of transformation born out of grief, a meditation on the price of vengeance, and a cautionary tale about the isolating effects of obsession. It’s a thinking person’s thriller, brought to life by an ensemble cast that elevates every scene, and a lead performance by Rami Malek that is as haunting as it is human.
THE AMATEUR is a cerebral, emotionally charged thriller that trades spectacle for soul. Anchored by Rami Malek’s searing performance and James Hawes’ confident direction, it’s a gripping exploration of grief, justice, and the cost of stepping into a world you were never meant to survive.
THE AMATEUR will be released in theaters nationwide on April 11, 2025