Rami Malek Stars in The Amateur: A Unique Spy Film

The Amateur – 2025

Director James Hawes
Screenplay Ken Nolan, Gary Spinelli based on the novel by Robert Littell
Starring Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitriona Balfe, Michael Stuhlbarg, Laurence Fishburne, Colt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Jon Bernthal

Rami Malek has invested himself in few roles since his Oscar winning role of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. His most prominent leading role since that film is a book that he helped produce into a movie. One can see why he waited this long. The Amateur is a clever spy thriller done with unusual feeling. While his protagonist Charlie Heller is a CIA cryptographer (read: intelligent) he certainly is no action star. And fortunately the film is not going to make him one.

Charlie’s wife Sarah is killed in a hostage situation in London. He quickly determines who is responsible. Charlie finds his superiors reluctant to move with the information. He formulates a plan. Then, he forces them to help him enact it. This only goes so far as his leverage over the CIA. After that expires, then they move in to eliminate Charlie. By then, Charlie has more than enough to go on.

By the time the story heads to Europe, it’s clear Charlie has little more than his background in computer technology. He uses this to get information leading to the main antagonist (Stuhlbarg). The antagonist is the kind of bad guy Biden would trade for a WNBA star.

Each of his associates are caught and interrogated. His balance of luck, skill and drive to keep moving is different than most would expect to see. Matt Damon has an amazing sense of physical skill that helps him move forward in the Jason Bourne series. Malek, it is clear, does not have this. This works to the benefit of the story.

The performances are solid, for the most part. Fishburne and Bernthal are always welcome and contribute without dominating the story. Were it that they should want to create a series from this film, there is plenty here to go on.
(**** out of *****)