The Amateur movie review: More gloss than grit in this spy game

A remake of Robert Littell’s 1981 Cold War-era novel, The Amateur, sets out to be a brooding espionage thriller for the post-9/11 generation. Directed by James Hawes, the film trades in the Soviet paranoia of the original for something more contemporary: shadowy CIA black ops, false flag operations, and the grief-fueled journey of a man turned assassin. With Rami Malek playing against type as a desk-bound cryptographer who forces his way into fieldwork, the film builds an intriguing setup. Unfortunately, after a strong start, The Amateur begins to sag under the weight of its ambitions and tonal confusion.

The plot centres on Charlie Heller (Malek), a brainy, unassuming CIA codebreaker who discovers a web of unauthorized operations buried in the agency’s encrypted files. When his wife Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan) is killed in a London terror attack, Charlie’s grief curdles into obsession. Convinced the agency is hiding the truth, he blackmails his superiors—led by agency cynic Moore (Holt McCallany)—into giving him combat training and an off-the-grid identity. Under the reluctant mentorship of Colonel Henderson (Laurence Fishburne), Charlie begins his transformation from analyst to avenger, crossing international borders to hunt down those behind his wife’s death. But as he closes in, the line between justice and cold-blooded vengeance blurs—and the film begins to lose sight of itself.

The good

For the first act, The Amateur is taut, stylish, and engaging. Malek’s portrayal of Charlie as a tech-savvy outsider dropped into the dangerous world of spycraft is refreshingly low-key. His awkwardness in the field is believable, and the early beats of the revenge plot move briskly. The supporting cast adds heft—Fishburne, McCallany, and Catriona Balfe all bring seasoned authority to their roles, and the globe-trotting visuals are crisp and cinematic. A few standout moments—a rooftop glass pool scene relocated to a fictional Madrid, and a quirky bit where Charlie has to learn lock-picking via YouTube—lend the film a touch of personality.

The bad

However, as the story unfolds, the film starts spinning its wheels. The plot becomes increasingly overstuffed with CIA conspiracies, revenge tropes, and geopolitical subtext, but never settles into a coherent rhythm. For all the training montages and narrow escapes, Charlie’s arc lacks urgency. The pacing flattens, and the emotional throughline—Charlie’s grief and need for closure—gets sidelined. Despite the espionage trappings, there’s a nagging sense that nothing is really at stake. Malek’s emotionally restrained performance doesn’t help; while his cerebral approach works in some scenes, his big emotional moments feel curiously muted or off-key.

The verdict

The film’s biggest flaw is its moral confusion. The Amateur flirts with big questions about justice, complicity, and the CIA’s own history of violence—but never truly engages with them. Charlie wants to avenge his wife without becoming a killer, but the script gives him no real reckoning. The final confrontation with the villain devolves into a muddled philosophical exchange, where no one seems quite sure what they’re arguing. What could’ve been a searing modern take on power and accountability ends in a shoulder-shrug. It’s a thriller that wants to feel profound but ultimately plays it safe. For all its intrigue and stylishness, it ultimately plays it too safe to leave a mark. It’s the kind of film that feels tailor-made for a long-haul flight: glossy enough to hold your attention, but too hollow to remember once you land.