The Amateur is a sleek and modern action thriller centered around Charlie Heller, played by Rami Malek, a CIA analyst with a talent for decrypting codes and hacking surveillance systems. Heller’s life takes a devastating turn when his wife, Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), is kidnapped and murdered while on a corporate trip to London. With no satisfaction from his bosses at the CIA, who assure him that the criminals will be brought to justice, Charlie takes matters into his own hands. His thirst for vengeance pushes him to go rogue and track down those responsible, including his abusive pimp (Dylan O’Brien) and the terrorists behind the attack.
The film is built on a familiar premise: a seemingly ordinary man out for revenge against the system that has wronged him. But The Amateur offers a twist by making its protagonist more of a thinker than a fighter. Charlie is not a skilled combatant—he’s nearsighted and doesn’t handle weapons well. Instead of becoming a classic action hero, Charlie approaches his mission like a planner, using his hacking and analytical skills to orchestrate his revenge. This makes for a rather unique, if not entirely engaging, action movie.
Directed by James Hawes, known for his work on Doctor Who, and written by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli, the film takes viewers on a global journey, from Paris to Istanbul to the Baltic coast. Yet, despite these exotic locations, the movie often feels less like a high-stakes thriller and more like a video game. The action sequences, while occasionally inventive, often feel contrived, relying on improbable scenarios to move the plot forward. For example, Charlie finds himself in a confrontation with a killer in a suspended glass swimming pool, only for the pool to be rigged with explosives. These moments, although flashy, lack the emotional weight to make them resonate.
Rami Malek delivers a strong performance as Charlie, embodying the character’s cold, calculating nature. His portrayal is particularly effective early in the film, when he traps one of the killers in a plastic medical chamber and releases pollen into it, creating a tense, sadistic moment. However, as the film progresses, Malek’s portrayal becomes somewhat detached, making Charlie’s quest for vengeance feel more theoretical than visceral. This emotional distance ultimately detracts from the film’s impact.
The film’s pacing is uneven, and while it occasionally hints at deeper themes—such as the blurred lines between right and wrong in the pursuit of justice—it doesn’t fully explore them. Instead, The Amateur turns into a mishmash of various thriller tropes, blending elements of The Bourne Identity, Death Wish, and Munich into a product that feels formulaic, despite its potential.
While The Amateur is not a bad film, it fails to leave a lasting impression. Its slick, tech-driven aesthetic and reliance on elaborate set pieces might entertain viewers in the moment, but they don’t create the emotional payoff necessary to make the film truly memorable. The concept of a man going rogue for personal vengeance has been explored many times before, and The Amateur doesn’t offer anything new or particularly thrilling. In the end, it’s an action movie that’s watchable but ultimately falls short of being truly compelling.
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