The Amateur (2025) · Director: James Hawes · Starring: Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Laurence Fishburne · Runtime: 124 min · Adapted from Robert Littell's novel · Streaming: available at home

The Amateur is a straightforward action-thriller about Charlie Heller (Rami Malek), a brilliant but introverted CIA cryptographer working out of a basement office in Langley. When his wife is killed in a terrorist attack in London and his supervisors refuse to act, he blackmails the agency into training him — so the shy codes guy can personally hunt down the men responsible.

It's a solid enough revenge premise: the quiet, underestimated member of the intelligence community turning his brains into a weapon. Rami Malek fits the "nerd power" mould well, and the film leans into that David-vs-Goliath energy. When the action actually arrives, it's reasonably exciting, and there are twists scattered through — one of those "great story, lots of twists" crowd-pleaser movies.

But. Between the set pieces, the tension sags. The pacing drags in the middle, the supporting characters are thin, and Malek's hero stays something of a cold fish throughout — competent, but hard to warm to. Roger Ebert's site put it well: it skims the surface of what's worked in spy thrillers without ever finding its own rhythm or identity. It's well-assembled, never terrible, but never really catches fire either.

The verdict: An average movie — a perfectly watchable one-time affair. If you're a Malek fan or just want a mild spy-thriller way to pass a couple hours, it's fine. Nobody's going to be talking about it next year, and that's the honest truth.

Rating: 2.5/5 — average, one-time watch.