The Amateur Review: Rami Malek Turns Rogue in a High-Stakes Espionage Throwback

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Apr 10

Written By Jonathan P. Moustakas

Rami Malek in 'The Amateur.' **Courtesy of 20th Century Studios**

Rami Malek Transforms From CIA Desk Jockey Into Ace Field Agent in Preposterous but Entertaining Vengeance Thriller

In a cinematic landscape saturated with high-octane franchise blockbusters and by-the-numbers streaming fare, James Hawes’ The Amateur emerges as an unexpectedly muscular throwback to the classic adult spy thrillers of the late 20th century. This adaptation of Robert Littell’s 1981 Cold War novel is both a contemporary update and a tonal homage, swapping analog paranoia for digital-age dread while retaining a disarmingly earnest core. Anchored by Rami Malek’s cerebral performance, the film walks a tightrope between plausibility and pulp, frequently tumbling into the latter—but rarely losing its footing altogether.

Malek plays Charles "Charlie" Heller, a low-level CIA cryptographer who has made a career out of parsing code, not pulling triggers. His quiet life in Virginia, shared with his wife Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), is torn apart when she is murdered in a terrorist attack while abroad in London. The incident is brutal and unceremonious, underscoring the film's central conceit: the arbitrary nature of violence and the institutional coldness that often follows in its wake. Charlie is devastated, but it is his treatment by CIA higher-ups—played with bureaucratic chill by Julianne Nicholson and Holt McCallany—that truly catalyzes his transformation from passive observer to rogue operative.

Denied retribution through official channels and warned off his personal quest for justice, Charlie resorts to blackmailing the Agency with sensitive internal data, leveraging their corruption to get the field training he needs. It's a plot point that stretches credibility even by genre standards, but it's rendered with enough conviction—especially in Laurence Fishburne's sharp, grizzled performance as Charlie's no-nonsense trainer—that the film maintains its forward propulsion.

What follows is an episodic, globe-trotting adventure that places Charlie in increasingly precarious situations: foot chases in Istanbul, covert meetups in shadowy Parisian alleys, and even an underwater infiltration sequence in the Baltic Sea. These sequences are handsomely shot by cinematographer Martin Ruhe (The Midnight Sky), who captures both the grit of on-the-ground espionage and the glossy veneer of international spycraft. Director James Hawes, best known for prestige television work including Slow Horses and Black Mirror, applies a steady, if occasionally utilitarian, hand to the material.

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The film distinguishes itself not through innovation, but through sincerity. Charlie is not a born killer, nor does he become one. His weapon is intelligence, and Hawes wisely resists turning him into a Bourne-style automaton. Instead, Malek plays Charlie as wounded but determined, using his intellect, digital skills, and improvisational cunning to survive. A standout scene has Charlie Googling a lock-picking tutorial mid-break-in, complete with a winking “Like and subscribe” as he fumbles with a bobby pin—a moment that typifies the film’s blend of suspense and sly humor.

Jon Bernthal in 'The Amateur.' **Courtesy of 20th Century Studios**

Among the ensemble, Caitríona Balfe stands out as Inquiline, a mysterious hacker whose own vendetta parallels Charlie’s. Their reluctant alliance adds emotional heft to the film's second half. Meanwhile, Jon Bernthal makes the most of limited screen time as a morally ambiguous CIA operative whose loyalty is tested by Charlie's crusade. Michael Stuhlbarg appears late in the film as a philosophical mercenary, delivering a monologue that veers into noir territory. These performances elevate the otherwise rote plotting.

The Amateur doesn't entirely avoid the pitfalls of its genre. Some twists are telegraphed, others are too tidy. The final act borders on implausible melodrama, with a Baltic Sea showdown that evokes Clear and Present Danger filtered through Mr. Robot. Yet the film's polished craft and its refusal to condescend to its audience lend it a rare gravity.

What truly sets The Amateur apart is its acknowledgment that revenge is not redemption, and that intelligence is not immunity. Charlie's arc is defined not by domination, but by disillusionment. In this way, the film joins a lineage of character-driven espionage tales that includes not only Littell's own literary work but also the films of John le Carré and early-era Tony Scott.

For viewers nostalgic for the spy thrillers of the ‘90s, or those simply yearning for a self-contained action film with mature themes and global scale, The Amateur delivers the goods. It's not revolutionary, but it’s resolutely cinematic—a middle-budget genre piece made with clarity, purpose, and no small measure of heart.