2025 is coming in hot with the spy thrillers, and not all of them are great, but even with the losers in the pack, there are some gems to come out of it, even if it’s just an escape for 2 hours from everything else going on around us. First, let’s look at the synopsis and trailer and then dive right into our review.

Charlie Heller (Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.

Review

Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”) stars as an introverted decoder for the CIA, and Malek is exactly like Malek is in almost everything he has been in. Saying he has been typecast for this type of character (calling back to Mr. Robot) may be unfair, but he has a type. He comes off better as a villain who is more psychologically unstable than trying to play a spy or family man seeking revenge. Opposite Malek is CIA agent Laurence Fishburne (“The Matrix”) and fellow spy Caitríona Balfe (“Starz Outlander”).

Fishburne and Malek’s characters grow to respect each other. Still, even Fishburne’s character feels generally muted in the entire film, with little action or excitement save for one solid fight scene later. Balfe comes in as a spy who was serving as an intelligence contact for Malelk, who offers him some support and centering while he seeks his revenge for those who killed his wife.

The Amateur is based on a novel by Robert Littell published in 1981. Perhaps the simple plot makes more sense given the time and context of the novel, but in modern times, it didn’t translate as well. The story was too one-dimensional and simple. Revenge plots are not new, of course, but everything fell into place too easily with little or no mystery for the viewer to attempt to unravel. When it came time for the final villain to meet up with Charlie (Malek), it was a dull payoff with no satisfaction to the ending of the story. After winners like Black Bag hit theaters this year, other spy thrillers have to step up their game to make it head and tails above. Unlike Black Bag, which was a concise 90-minute film, The Amateur came in over 2 hours, and it felt like the story dragged out about 45 minutes longer than was needed.

“The Amateur” ultimately delivers a drawn-out revenge plot with a dull payoff, leaving the film forgettable once the credits roll. While Fishburne and Balfe give strong performances, their characters are held back by weak writing. Malek, though talented, has a very specific acting range that unfortunately doesn’t suit this type of film.

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