Directed by James Hawes (Slow Horses, and the “Hated in the Nation” and “Smithereens” episodes of Black Mirror) and based on the novel by Robert Littell, the latest version of The Amateur stars Oscar-winner Rami Malek as Charlie, a nebbish CIA code breaker and tech geek. After his wife (a woefully underused Rachel Brosnahan) is killed by terrorists, the mild-mannered milksop and CIA cryptographer grows infuriated with his agency’s failure to bring the culprits to justice, so he takes matters into his own hands. Craving revenge but too squeamish for up-close-and-personal, execution-style murder, Charlie constructs elaborate traps that deliver darkly entertaining deaths that would make the writers of Final Destination grin with sadistic glee.
Fans of the original novel and Charles Jarrott’s 1981 adaptation will notice a shift away from the somber Cold War themes that defined the ’80s political thriller. In this iteration, The Amateur draws some inspiration from current political tensions, though its primary influence comes from contemporary revenge thrillers. For the most part, The Amateur is another entry in “Wicksploitation,” a subgenre born from the massive influence of John Wick (2014) and its sequels, which redefined action cinema through a slick blend of stylized visuals, oddly mythic world-building, and a touch of the old ultraviolence. The franchise created a now-familiar template often seen in revenge pics: an unassuming or underestimated everyman is thrust into a seedy criminal underworld due to reasons (death of a loved one, betrayal, imminent danger, pet annihilation, etc.) and responds with a relentless, bloody rampage. Think Nobody (2021) and Sisu (2022) for examples of the template done right.
The Amateur follows the beats set by the Chad Stahelski franchise, though it lacks the recurring gunplay, constant car chases, and over-the-top aggression that audiences have come to expect from Wick imitators. Instead, the viewer is drawn in by Malek’s performance as Charlie, a misfit filled with simmering rage who creates cat-and-mouse scenarios that would make Wile E. Coyote proud.
As Mr. Robot proved, an unhinged, socially detached Rami Malek is peak Rami Malek, and in The Amateur, he taps back into that familiar energy as a reclusive hacker. With Charlie, Malek strikes a compelling balance between pitiful and perilous. As he globe-trots to stay one step ahead of capture, his formidable co-stars — including John Wick‘s Laurence Fishburne, Jon Bernthal, Julianne Nicholson, and Holt McCallany — are hot on his trail. Each adds weight to the film, though even their collective talent can’t always clarify the muddled plot.
Charlie’s intelligence and knack for crafting deadly, Rube Goldberg-style contraptions give The Amateur a compelling hunter-versus-hunted edge. The film is engaging, with strong performances — especially Holt McCallany as CIA Deputy Director Moore and Julianne Nicholson as CIA Director O’Brien, who continues to shine in government stooge roles — but it lacks the standout moments that define modern action cinema. While it forgoes flamboyant world-building, extreme violence, and over-the-top set pieces, the story of a grieving genius and his clever, Jigsaw-style kills remains a tale worth telling — even if it doesn’t leave a lasting mark on the minds of moviegoers. ❖