The Amateur (2025)

What is The Amateur About?

Charlie Heller says goodbye to his wife, Sarah, on the day she is due to travel to London for a business trip. But he doesn’t know that this will be the last time he sees her.

At his place of work, the CIA, Heller uncovers corruption at a high level, where his boss has disguised politically motivated drone attacks as suicide bombings. We watch these storylines collide as a grief-stricken Charlie takes matters into his own hands.

Our Honest Review of The Amateur 

As we watched The Amateur movie, we were reminded of the early 2000s spy movies. We couldn’t help but recall The Bourne Ultimatum as the plot gained momentum. Heller shares parallels with Bourne in his tenacity and drive to succeed, just like Bourne’s drive to be free from Treadstone. 

We thoroughly enjoyed the confrontation scenes, which is where much of the tension peaks. But beyond this, the unlikely alliances make for compelling viewing.

What Do the Critics Think of The Amateur?

There’s something fresh and unique about The Amateur movie. Here’s what the critics think:

• “Director James Hawes creates a visually arresting style and takes us from Washington to London, Madrid and Istanbul in a genuinely pacy and twisty thriller.” - Bina007, Sabina Reeves

• “There’s action set-pieces which look great without stretching credulity, like a great bit of business involving a swanko swimming pool on top of a hotel that goes down in an eye-popping way.” - Film-Authority, Eddie Harrison

• “Malek brings the understated underdog quality that the part requires, finding a middle ground between the amateur and the professional.” - Nick Spake

What Awards and Nominations did The Amateur Receive?

Debuting to $14.8 million during the first week after its release, The Amateur finished third in the box office, only behind A Minecraft Movie and The King of Kings. 

While it has not won any notable awards or nominations, it features exceptional actors, Rami Malek and Laurence Fishburne. You might not know this, but Malek won an Oscar for his role in Bohemian Rhapsody in 2019, while Fishburne was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role in What’s Love Got to Do with It in 1994.

Cast and Crew of The Amateur

Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne, and James Hawes are each uniquely talented. Here’s more about them.

• Rami Malek - Did you know that Malek describes himself as the polar opposite of his other lead character, Elliot Anderson, in the TV series Mr. Robot? He’s actually an “exuberant person who thrives on affection and likes chitchat.”

• James Hawes - You will have seen James Hawes’ skills elsewhere in Black Mirror and the TV movie Enid. His directing abilities have earned him critical acclaim, with Black Mirror winning a BAFTA award and Enid earning a BAFTA nomination.

• Laurence Fishburne - Perhaps most known for his role as Morpheus in The Matrix. Fishburne was inspired by certain performers in his career’s early days such as Mr. Sidney Poitier, James Earl Jones, Peter O’Toole, and Richard Burton.

Fun Facts About The Amateur

• One filming mishap that involved Malek actually made it into the finished film. When the lead tripped over on the 15th take of an action scene, it appeared natural.

• The Amateur is based on a novel titled The Amateur: A Novel of Revenge by Robert Littel. The novel was released in 1981.

• The movie isn’t the first adaptation from the novel - what came before it was a 1981 spy thriller Canadian film released by Pan-Canadian Film Distributors.

• When Heller makes his way from London to Paris, a UK Border Force professional completes a passport scan. In the real world, when leaving the United Kingdom, the UK Border Force wouldn’t check it - but French border police would do this at St. Pancras.

• The filming of the movie paused in July 2023 because of the SAG-AFTRA strike, motivated by a labour dispute by Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists due to unregulated AI use and other factors.

Themes of The Amateur

Just as the novel delves into morality, grief, and justice themes, so too does The Amateur movie. The central theme, though, is revenge. 

The other motifs that resonated with us are espionage, tech-focused details, and conspiracy elements. These are seen from the very first few scenes, where Heller communicates with an unknown individual who helps him uncover information about the CIA’s corrupt actions.

How Does The Amateur Compare to James Hawes’ Other Work?

James Hawes returns to these motifs in The Amateur having already directed Slow Horses, a British spy thriller television series brought to the screens in 2022. Right down to the MI5 rejects’ Slough House, and those rejects who have seriously failed a task, The Amateur’s Heller reminds us of this series in the protagonist’s initial failures.

Behind-the-Scenes Trivia

Fishburne and actress Caitríona Balfe, who plays Inquiline, describe their favourite moments from The Amateur:

• When describing his reaction to the script, Fishburne explained that he “loved the script” when he read it, mainly because Malek was attached to its contents. Fishburne stated that Malek’s attachment made him “hopeful” about what he was going to read.

• In relation to her favourite scene to shoot, Caitríona Balfe explained that a quieter scene between Heller and Inquiline was “beautiful”. Balfe particularly liked the setting and noted that the sun was going down. Even though the crew was “anxious about catching the light” on time, the scene was “gorgeous”.

• Of the most challenging scenes to shoot, Fishburne explained that at the Shouthold shooting range, it was “so cold and so wet”. The scene had been shot in December following the SAG-AFTRA strike, and the schedule had been reduced from a month to three weeks, making the filming process feel like more pressure.

What’s the Soundtrack Like for The Amateur?

ShellShock is one of The Amateur’s standout tracks, and is provided by Allen Watts and Paul Denton. Bringing us a techno-theme perfectly suited to the rave scene Heller finds himself in, it almost mirrors Heller’s perhaps rapid heartbeat.

Other standout tracks in the scenes of reflection in The Amateur include the classical-sounding Piano Bar by Steve Marvin and Begu by Nicholas Baker, Ryan Franks and Marina Verenikina.

Best Quotes from The Amateur

• “I want to kill them myself.” - Charlie Heller explaining to CIA boss Caleb that he wants to exact his revenge on his wife’s killers.

• “If you do exactly as I say, there's a slight chance you might survive.” - Charlie Heller’s handler Robert Henderson of the CIA gives the protagonist some ominous advice during training.

• “For me, every moment since has been about trying to fill that silence. You need to ask yourself, doing all this is it how you should fill yours?” - Heller’s unlikely alliance, Inquiline, questioning the protagonist’s motives. 

• “I can't make you into something that you are not. I am sorry!” - Robert Henderson explaining that Heller will never be a killer even after training.

• “That.. That's it? Necessary?” - Charlie Heller responding to the explanation why his wife had to die.

• “I was overstating your chances to boost your confidence.” - Robert Henderson explaining to Charlie that the ‘slight chance’ of Heller surviving his quest is slim at best.

• “He has an IQ of 170. Let's not underestimate him.” - CIA boss Caleb explaining to another CIA agent that Heller may be more of a threat to the organisation than first anticipated.

• "Did you ever account for the things I'm good at?" - Charlie Heller defending his capability to complete his mission in response to Henderson’s criticisms.

• “You surprised me Charlie. I can’t tell you how rare that is. But it ends here.” - Robert Henderson explaining to Heller that he has so far surpassed his expectations but needs to stop his pursuit.

• “Tell me where he is, or swim fast.” - Charlie Heller threatening one of his enemies and seeking more information.

What People Are Asking About The Amateur