'The Amateur' Review: A Revenge Tale That Thrives of Rami Malek's Oddball Performance
- Dan Bremner
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
By Dan Bremner - April 14, 2025
Charlie Heller is a brilliant CIA decoder whose world comes crashing down when his wife dies in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, his intelligence becomes the ultimate weapon as he embarks on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible.
I’m a sucker for spy flicks that lean into grit over gloss (Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag this year was also a treat), so The Amateur was an oddly comforting watch, as it feels tailor-made to be a film you're dad will love. I didn’t know it remade a 1981 film until the credits rolled, but learning it sprang from a one-off Robert Littell novel wasn’t a shock as the ‘80s churned out paperbacks like this by the crate. I half-expected a shelf of 30 Charlie Heller sequels with ghost-writers still milking it, but nope, just one book. This 2025 take doesn’t rewrite the genre, yet there’s solace in a mid-budget thriller built for dads who dog-ear Tom Clancy novels in this day and age. It’s familiar, flawed, but gripping enough to keep you locked in.
Back in ‘81, the original landed amid Cold War paranoia, post-Three Days of the Condor sort of vibes, when spies were scrappy and analogue. Today, with James Bond and Mission: Impossible flexing high-tech dazzle in the modern age, The Amateur feels like a throwback to early 2000s paperbacks, think the early Jason Bourne without a protagonist that can pull off headshots with his eyes closed. It’s not chasing trends or Marvel-level stakes, just a straight shot of revenge that plays like a cosy sweater in an overblown and CGI-heavy era of studio releases.
Rami Malek’s Charlie Heller isn’t your typical leading man, those bug eyes and twitchy vibe scream “IT guy who spends too much time on Reddit” not “action star.” I haven’t seen Mr. Robot, but I’d bet he’s channelling a chattier version of that hacker. He pulls off the nerdy avenger well, less Jason Statham, more desk jockey with a grudge. His kills are clever, like Hitman’s Agent 47 rigging breathing traps with pollen or turning scrap into a swimming pool demolition, not blazing guns. It’s a refreshing pivot that keeps you rooting for brains over brawn as he finds, surveys and takes down his target.
Laurence Fishburne steals his scenes as Henderson, a grizzled CIA trainer who’s half-mentor, half-threat, tossing out hard truths with a glare that could melt steel. The rest of the cast, Rachel Brosnahan’s brief wife, Holt McCallany’s shady boss, fade fast, Jon Bernthal’s appears in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it role (Probably part of his contract for that Disney+ Punisher special) but Fishburne’s heft carries the support. It’s a shame he’s not in it more, as it's a perfect role for him that he keeps grounded.
The narrative is nothing ground-breaking: a grieving guy vs. terrorists, taking justice into his own hands, dodging CIA suits who want him gone. It’s generic, sure, but director James Hawes stitches it together with enough polish to hold you. Surveillance shots and tracking pings echo Bourne’s paranoia, all grainy feeds and enhanced feeds as he bounces round the globe in search of justice. Charlie’s always a half-step ahead of his hunters, which keeps the pulse up, even if the style feels like it’s been seen before countlessly in Ludlum’s adaptations.
The sets, from London dives to Istanbul streets, are gritty and lived-in, shot with a steady hand that shows competence over flash (This isn't a sleek Bond film). The score hums along, nothing epic, just enough to nudge the tension. It’s the kind of film that doesn’t dazzle but delivers, like a reliable thriller you'll find on BBC one Sunday afternoon and it would feel right in place. Sturdy and reliable stuff, gets the job done without any fuss.
The Amateur is a solid vigilante yarn, predictable yet engaging, a revenge tale that thrives on Malek’s oddball performance that chooses brains over brawn, Fishburne’s support and sturdy direction. It’s not rewriting the playbook, but in a 2025 world of bloated franchises, weightless greenscreens and overblown CGI action, it's a modest swing that feels like a breath of fresh air in a time where the mid-budget thriller seems to be reduced to streaming. Would happily see further adventures from Charlie Heller, so I hope this does well.
The Amateur is out now in cinemas
Want more film reviews? Check out more content on our website Film Focus Online!
Comments