The Amateur: Stylish Spy Thriller That Fails to Stick in Your Mind

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Occasionally, a skillfully written thriller doesn’t automatically become a top pick. It needs charm, brilliance, that special allure… and it seems like The Amateur might find it difficult to possess these qualities.

2025’s movie lineup seems overflowing with eye-catching stunts. Instead of just prolonging screenings for five and a half hours (which Marvel occasionally does), they’re concentrating on establishing their Phase 6 legacy by introducing fresh characters. Meanwhile, it appears that gruesome horror films are dominating the cinemas almost every week. So, what about those moderately-paced releases? Where do they fit in this scenario?

As a gamer diving into the dynamic and cutthroat gaming world, it’s crucial to bring something unique to the table to make an impact. It’s like a former celebrity making a triumphant return, ready to dominate the scene once more. Outstanding narratives that will leave their mark on the current year. Maybe Jack Black battling a cube-built swine, if you catch my drift. The pathways to success are countless.

Had “The Amateur” with Rami Malek and Laurence Fishburne been released before “Inception”, it wouldn’t have been a stretch to call it an internationally acclaimed film. However, in the year 2025, it falls short of being a blockbuster hit: a well-crafted, respectable, and skillfully made movie that could be more appreciated on a streaming platform after a few years.

What is The Amateur about?

As a devoted fan, I’d like to highlight the captivating character of CIA cryptologist, Charlie Heller (Malek). However, life for this remarkable asset takes an unexpected turn when his beloved wife meets a tragic end in a terrorist attack in London. In the course of his investigations, Charlie manages to trace her kidnapper. Yet, things take a more complex turn as he receives mysterious documents from an unknown source, hinting at the potential involvement of his superiors.

If their superiors don’t give his situation adequate attention, Charlie threatens them with an ultimatum: he will remain silent about their concealment of the truth, provided they grant him CIA training to track down and eliminate the perpetrators personally. Initially trusting that they could prevent him before it escalates, Charlie catches everyone off guard as he embarks on a thrilling pursuit across Europe with Corporal Henderson (Fishburne) in hot pursuit.

The Amateur is the Killing Eve chase you won’t remember

There’s an intriguing charm to the global game of cat-and-mouse that Charlie plays. He consistently manages to outwit and evade his relentless CIA pursuers without ever revealing a hint of stress (or any emotion, for that matter). His approach to targets is methodical, and in the process, he discovers more about his own abilities. There’s a tense yet organic connection between Charlie and Henderson that makes one wish it was Fishburne who took on the full Morpheus role instead.

For enthusiasts who value the subtle complexities of CIA operations, this film offers a thought-provoking exploration. Known as “The Amateur”, it delves deeper into the realms of planning and tactical maneuvers rather than focusing solely on high-octane action sequences. However, don’t underestimate the presence of thrilling, yet strategically placed hand-to-hand combat scenes.

As Charlie accelerates his journey across Europe, he gradually finds his true potential, and it’s only towards the end that “The Amateur” truly shines. By the conclusion, we receive fulfilling responses to all our queries, and Charlie proves to be a remarkable, multi-dimensional CIA operative. A group like The Fantastic Four can’t compare to an ordinary man in glasses seeking vengeance for his wife.

Primarily, Malek portrays Charlie’s emotional turmoil, often reminding us of his deceased wife in The Amateur. While this technique is effective for the most part, there are instances where it feels repetitive, and a slight reduction in flashbacks might be beneficial. Despite its praiseworthy aspects, the main issue with the new movie remains that it lacks the impact or appeal to be truly unforgettable.

Consider “The Amateur” as a Carling beer commercial – solid but not exceptional. There’s nothing particularly stunning, thought-provoking, or groundbreaking about it that would make you reconsider your views or perceive it as a standout role for Rami Malek. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what isn’t quite hitting the mark, because no specific aspect is problematic or flawed on its own.

Rather than discussing its momentary enjoyment, it’s more about the long-term influence of the film. While you’d undoubtedly have a wonderful time watching it initially, if someone asked you the following day what you did, you might struggle to remember the details of the movie. It’s disheartening that even a skillfully crafted movie can fail to leave a lasting impression in today’s context, which might suggest more about the industry trends than the content presented on screen.

In my opinion, there was a potentially simpler way to enhance the quality of “The Amateur,” and that would be by maximizing the potential of Laurence Fishburne’s character, Henderson. I’m not suggesting we should mimic The Matrix entirely to recreate the nostalgia of 1999, but rather, Fishburne’s rich action-oriented roles from his past could have been leveraged more effectively within this film.

Fans of action movies might be eager to spend their money to see Fishburne brutally defeat any adversaries, and he’s undoubtedly the best aspect of the movie. A different choice could have been a Killing Eve-like chemistry, as a response to the disappointing ending the BBC provided a few years back. However, what we receive is more like a lukewarm brew.

TopMob Review Score: 3/5 – Good

As a film enthusiast, I must confess that sometimes, a movie like “The Amateur” can be disappointing – it’s the kind you might forget you watched by the end of the year. In the heat of the moment, it might offer some enjoyment, but it doesn’t seem to make a lasting impact or create any sort of cinematic legacy.

Maybe it’s sufficient for now. It could be exactly what we lack to fill in the spaces left by large franchises and surprising small successes. Yet, despite achieving his goals, it still seems rather unimpressive.

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2025-04-08 19:27