The Amateur is by no means reinventing the wheel, not that it is setting out to. It is simply a good movie, which is reason enough to warrant its existence.

The Amateur is a thriller about a CIA analyst whose wife dies in a hostage situation and goes rogue to get revenge on the men who were responsible for her death. It sounds like a premise that has been done a million times before or a movie that would go straight to VOD or Redbox. But fear not, because at no moment did the film ever feel stale. The Amateur follows the same tropes and hits the same beats as we’ve seen before, but executes them so perfectly that I had no choice but to nod in approval mid-scene. 

The twist of this film is precisely what the title states. Charlie, played by Rami Malek, is not a spy or trained in combat. His work at the CIA is strictly computer-based, and Charlie is the epitome of “I clock in, I do my work, I go home.” His wife, Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), is his entire world. She invites him to go to London with her since she is traveling there on business, but he declines, preferring to stay home and in his bubble. At work, he communicates with his informant that he only knows under their codename of Inquiline. This connection is how he discovers Special Activities Center Director Moore (Holt McCallany) has been covering up his political operations by claiming they are suicide bombings. Charlie uses this knowledge as leverage to get Director Moore to approve field training for his self-imposed mission. This is where Charlie meets Henderson (Laurence Fishburne), who tries to teach him to use a gun among other skills. However, it becomes clear that Charlie’s lack of a killer instinct will be an impediment to his goal. Soon after, he sets off on his globetrotting mission to get revenge on the mercenaries who killed Sarah. 

One of the best parts of The Amateur is the casting. The role of Charlie is perfectly crafted for Rami Malek. It highlights his awkward tendencies while still promoting his intelligence and sweet demeanor. There was a failed adaptation in the 2000s where Hugh Jackman was supposed to play the role of Charlie, which would have been so antithetical to the character. That’s right around the time Jackman was in prime Wolverine mode, and the audience never would’ve doubted him succeeding against the mercenaries, even with Charlie’s amateur status. Brosnahan is given nothing, but she’s so inherently charming and lovable you immediately understand why Charlie takes action. Fishburne plays the mentor character. He has so little screen time, but I want to fist-pump every moment he is onscreen. He naturally projects the authority and competency that his character needs. Finally, Holt McCallany feels as if he were born to be a gruff man in a suit. This shorthand casting works wonders to make the characters feel more well-rounded so that the focus stays on the action and filmmaking. 

The film is directed by James Hawes, who is primarily a TV director. Of all his credits, I am most familiar with his work on Slow Horses. He directed the entire first season. Unfortunately, I came to the series late, but that meant I could binge the first series, and boy, was it a great time. Just like Slow Horses, The Amateur is similarly trim and efficient. His niche seems to be spycraft and politics. Hawes knows precisely what needs to be onscreen and what is superfluous for material such as this. The Amateur is based on the book of the same name by Robert Littell. Mick Herron, who wrote the book Slow Horses, also wrote the foreword for TheAmateur the book. The connection between the two works is obvious. This genre is the perfect outlet for Hawes’s directorial style.  

One standout feature of the film was the score by Volker Bertelmann, an Oscar nominee this year for Conclave. That was a film score I absolutely adored. Whenever you need someone to compose a score that builds intensity, Bertelmann is your guy. This film could have easily featured a generic, forgettable work. Thankfully, The Amateur score is beautiful, particularly his use of the strings. It popped several times throughout the film. It lined up perfectly with the story and elevated it to another level.

The Amateur feels like a film I would have stumbled across while channel surfing but would have stopped and watched because it captured my attention. I would have recognized the actors or caught an exciting action scene and might’ve said, “What the hell!” and finished it. There is a sort of long-forgotten beauty to that kind of movie. Charlie using his tech skills and high IQ rather than any physical skills is the only thing that sets the film apart from other spy thrillers. The Amateur is by no means reinventing the wheel, not that it is setting out to. It is simply a good movie, which is reason enough to warrant its existence.

This wasn’t “amateur hour” by any means. The film is an example of what happens when confident and competent filmmakers come together: they make a crisp work of art. The Amateur is the meat and potatoes of the movies; it’s satisfying, it’s comforting, but it’s not going to change your life. Casting does a lot of the heavy lifting, but there are moments of exhilarating action that keep the audience invested in the story. The Amateur is the perfect example of a classic adult drama that seems to no longer be made. 

Grade: B+

Oscars Prospects:
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Where to Watch: In Theaters