The Amateur is a thriller based on the 1981 novel of the same name by Robert Littell, who also wrote the screenplay of the film adaptation that same year, starring John Savage in the title role. In fact, Littell actually wrote the novel after penning the script. This time we’ve got Rami Malek as a CIA cryptographer, Charlie Heller, who’s a bit of a nerd. I immediately empathize with Charlie as earlier that morning, we see him reluctantly bid goodbye to his wife Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), who’s going on a business trip to London. He’s a bit of a loner who loves his wife dearly, and the film paints him as a bit of an outcast. We see his cool colleague (Jon Bernthal) asking him if he’s free for lunch, but he doesn’t want his company; he just needs Charlie’s help with his computer. 

While on the job, Charlie comes across a piece of information he shouldn’t be privy to, involving the agency director, Moore (Holt McCallany). Then he’s informed that Sarah has been killed in a terrorist attack in London. As if that wasn’t heartbreaking enough, what really infuriates Charlie is the agency’s refusal to take swift action to seek justice for his wife. He decides to take matters into his own hands, but thankfully, The Amateur doesn’t descend into a B-movie type thriller where the underdog hero goes on a shooting rampage on his enemies.

Directed by James Hawes (One Life), based on a script by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli, Malek plays an underdog type of hero who relies on his math and technical skills in his vigilantism. It’s funny because Charlie first approaches Moore, hoping to get trained as a field agent. Moore responds with a smirk, saying, “I don’t think you could beat a 90-year-old nun in an arm-wrestling contest.” Meanwhile, his trainer, Henderson (Laurence Fishburne), quickly realizes that Charlie lacks the killer instinct.

Malek isn’t new to portraying a brilliant yet unpredictable cyber-security engineer and vigilante hacker; he took on that role for four seasons in Mr. Robot. His casting is particularly interesting since he recently played a Bond villain, Safin, in No Time To Die. This movie blends elements of Bond and Bourne, but with Q stepping into the role of the action hero. One character even references Bond directly when speaking to Charlie, ‘how about an Aston Martin, too?’ While Charlie never fires a single gunshot, he does get to jet off to various exotic locations: London, Paris, Istanbul, Madrid, etc.

The movie has its fair share of stock characters, like the oblivious CIA chief and his team who are always trailing behind the hero, along with a female agency head (Julianne Nicholson) reminiscent of Bond’s M, portrayed by Judi Dench, who has a hunch that something’s off. However, the one compelling character I wish had a bit more screen time is Inquiline, an enigmatic Russian hacker (Caitríona Balfe) who becomes Charlie’s unlikely ally. It turns out they have a shared grief which strengthens their connection, and there’s an emotional moment between these two lonely souls that’s cut off too short. I’d love to see Balfe lead an unconventional spy thriller one day. Kudos for the unexpected casting of Michael Stuhlbarg in the third act. Sporting a British accent, he’s not the first person I would have imagined for the part, but this fine character actor really pulls it off.

The Amateur begins with a clunky, bureaucratic vibe but becomes more intense and edgy as it progresses. It’s great on a technical level, boosted by the stunning cinematography of Martin Ruhe and dynamic score by Volker Bertelmann (who won an Oscar for All Quiet on the Western Front). Fans of spy thrillers likely want more action, but I actually like the fact that the movie only features a handful of them. I wish the trailer hadn’t given away the centerpiece action set piece involving a rooftop pool made of glass, but it’s still cool to watch on the big screen.

Hawes may not be an action director, but he definitely knows how to build tension effectively when it counts, without going overboard. What’s captivating to me is how the film explores Charlie’s challenging vengeance quest to find those responsible for his wife’s death, delving into the complex emotional turmoil that accompanies his pursuit. At over 2 hours, the movie could be more tightly edited, though. I actually think the scene with Bernthal in the 3rd act could’ve been scrapped altogether, as it doesn’t add anything to the story.

Malik is spot on as the vulnerable tech whiz who wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s quite charismatic, and his most notable asset is his incredibly expressive eyes. It’s refreshing to see a hero worth rooting for, especially one who pushes back against society’s expectations of toxic masculinity. The movie does veer into Mission Impossible territory as his vengeful methods become more preposterous and risible. But hey, I’m going to let it slide as this is supposed to be a wish-fulfillment type of movie where the geeky underdog gets the last laugh.

Have you seen THE AMATEUR? What did you think?