• Release year: 2025
• Director: James Hawes.
• Producers: Rami Malek, Joel B. Michaels, Hutch Parker, and Dan Wilson.
• Screenplay by: Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli.
• Cinematography by: Martin Ruhe.
• Music by: Volker Bertelmann.

Shotgun Commentary: one of the most engaging and thrilling spy movies of the last decade.

Review

The Amateur follows Charles Heller (Rami Malek), a man who works coding and deciphering encryptions for the CIA. Heller loses his wife during a terrorist attack in London. The CIA seems to be doing nothing about it, prompting him to rebel against them and hunt down the terrorists himself.

Substance and lead

The film has a pretty patchy beginning. There are a few incongruences and ridiculous imagery, such as having the same computer operation in four different windows on your screen. Not to mention how cliché the whole “dead wife = revenge” is. Still, if you give it the chance, this movie will prove to be more than overly dramatic techy actions and a tired prompt.

Malek’s character is the main attraction. His lack of field expertise, adding a layer of humour to the story that makes it stand out. While it is not as funny as Novocaine (2025) –it is not meant to be a comedy, after all– Charles’ incompetency when it comes to any sort of special agent skill makes him unique.

He might not have the best aim or a killer instinct, but he is outstandingly intelligent, and he can MacGyver (1989-1992) the hell out of a bomb. His strategy is to focus on his strengths and avoid his weaknesses, a plan that improves his odds greatly, making his adventure a lot more realistic.

How to win a Spanish heart

In addition to a pretty solid storyline, there are tons of details that elevate the story and the viewing experience itself. One in particular stands out as it hits home. As a Spanish spectator, one is more than used to terrible, ludicrous representations of Spain from ignorant people who think all the countries in South America and Spain are essentially the same thing. To the point where, not only the different traditions and cultures are interchanged without any care, but even the accents are completely ignored.

Luckily, it has been a long time since “Spanish” characters stopped speaking with Latino accents. However, to this day, plenty of movies located in Spain still use Latino voices for background noise despite having the relevant actors speak with a Spanish accent.

As such, it is almost moving to see a film where they actually bother to use the right accent for Spanish extras and background voices. It might seem like a very minuscule detail, but to people from this country, it means a lot that films actually bother to present it accurately instead of digging into the only clichés and inaccuracies. One hopes that such accuracy was carried throughout the whole film, as Charles’ journey is the envy of any travel lover.

The key components

In addition to the story itself, there is one particular cast choice that stands out for its brilliance. John Bernthal plays a spy and acquaintance of Charles that shows up from time to time, and never for too long. The choice of Bernthal for this role is so great because of his trajectory as an actor.

He tends to play friendly-looking backstabbers or rough-looking sweethearts. This background makes him absolutely perfect to play the spy that might or might not be a killer. Is he involved in the issue? Will he kill Charles? Could he possibly be just as nice as he appears? You won’t know until the very end, making him the best addition to the cast by a long shot.

Finally, it is important to acknowledge the special effects department and the sound department. The score is wonderful, and the audio effects are spot on, some even making you jump out of your skin. As for the special effects, Charles’ revenge simply wouldn’t be as epic as it is with some half-baked VFX. The script dreams big, and the artists deliver on that dream flawlessly.

All in all, The Amateur is a film any spy-movie fan will love to go to the cinema for. Unlike Black Bag (2025), which had a lot of style but a weak story, this feature prioritises substance over style, offering a way more enjoyable result for its audiences.

Thanks to Disney for big-screen access! The Amateur will be released the 11th of April.

Advice to take from this movie:

• Lacking qualifications for a job is irrelevant if you are intelligent and adaptable enough.
• Never mess with the person in charge of your digital life and/or that of your company.
• Don’t underestimate nerds, they have powers you can’t even dream of.

What’s your take? Have you watched The Amateur? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀