Verdict: 2.5/5
Suspending belief is something that is a must when it comes to spy thrillers, but ‘The Amateur’ takes things way too far with a thin plot and shallow sell points.
At two hours and three minutes, it’s also way too long. Somewhere in there is a decent 90 minute, snappy action flick – but it’s lost in scenes that drag on way too long and parts that do nothing to advance the plot.
Rami Malek stars as a CIA data analyst named Charles Heller, confined to the basement levels of intelligence headquarters while all the big dogs make decisions well above him – both literally and in pay grade.
His wife Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan) is killed in a terror attack in London, which while central to the plot is actually super disappointing because she’s one of the real highlights of the opening part of the film – it would have been great to see more of her charm throughout.
Heller decides he wants to find the killers himself – and seek revenge. And so he convinces his bosses (or moreso, bribes them) to train him to become a killer – a difficult task, given he can’t shoot straight and looks like he’d run from a spider if he spotted one.
Heller also knows there’s more to this attack than meets the eye – and so emerges a triangle of deceit and a cat-and-mouse game not only with Sarah’s killers, but his own CIA colleagues.
There’s a good movie begging to escape here, but it didn’t manage to find its way out.
Still, there’s a few epic scenes and the overall story is enough to keep you engaged. It’s just nothing to write home about.
See this movie at Hoyts Penrith
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.