The typical spy thriller leans heavily on explosions and body counts, but The Amateur takes a quieter, more cerebral route. Directed by James Hawes and adapted by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli from Robert Littell’s 1981 novel, this version gives the genre a fresh edge—less muscle, more mind.
The story opens on a tender moment between Charlie and Sarah Heller, played with warmth by Rami Malek and Rachel Brosnahan. They’re a loving couple saying goodbye before Sarah departs on a work trip to London. Charlie, a cryptographer for the CIA, spends his off-hours restoring a Cessna plane, meant as a surprise gift for his wife. But soon after, his quiet world is shattered when CIA Director Samantha O’Brien informs him that Sarah has been killed in a terrorist attack. The news hits hard, but the way it’s delivered feels oddly abrupt, almost too cold to be real.
When the agency refuses to pursue justice in the way Charlie sees fit, grief morphs into obsession. A man who once thrived on logic and data finds himself spiraling into a dangerous path of vengeance. Charlie is no field agent, he’s all intellect, no instinct. But tragedy changes a man. Suddenly, the quiet, meticulous analyst is training at Camp Peary under Col. Robert Henderson (Laurence Fishburne), learning to dismantle bombs and make sense of rage. Yet, as Henderson warns, “You’re not built for this. Knowing how to kill and doing it are two different things.”
The CIA’s own involvement in drone strikes and covert missions blurs the line between justice and bloodlust, and Charlie begins to question who the real enemy is. “The first one you kill is the warning,” someone tells him and from there, he becomes the embodiment of that warning. He doesn’t want closure. He wants them to feel what Sarah felt in those final moments. He knows it won’t heal him, but he can’t go home to silence either. This is the only way forward.
What elevates The Amateur is Rami Malek’s performance. He brings quiet intensity to a man unraveling at the seams, all while still clinging to the thread of his intellect. It’s a refreshing spin on the genre: a spy film that weaponizes intelligence over brute force.
That said, the film isn’t without flaws. At times it moves too slowly, letting the tension stretch thin before snapping. Certain narrative beats feel overly familiar, and the pacing occasionally drags while waiting for the revenge plot to ignite.
Still, The Amateur stands out for its thoughtfulness. It explores the cost of vengeance through a character who’s more likely to solve a cipher than start a shootout. And in doing so, it asks: What happens when a man trained to break codes decides to break the rules?
CHRISKRATING★★★☆☆
