When I walked into the theaters this past weekend for nighttime showing of “The Amateur” (2025), I was not expecting for my eyes to be glued to the screen for every single minute.
“The Amateur” follows what happens when a terrorist attack in London results in the tragic loss of CIA agent Charles “Charlie” Heller’s wife, Sarah. Despite their cover-up attempts, it makes it clear that the very agency Charlie has helped build up is more involved than it lets on. A goose chase ensues as Charlie makes it clear that no matter what, his wife will receive justice.
While the film’s DNA is forced to lie in the typical “dead wife” trope, it has perhaps one of the worst implementations of the trope of the thriller drama. Sarah mostly exists as figments of Charlie’s imagination, floating around in his mind to remind us just how good of a wife she was. However, a more interesting approach may have been to show how good of a person she was by allowing Sarah to exist outside of the confines of her husband. Why does she feel compelled to help others? Why put her own life on the line? Is she the type of person to push everyone around her to try new things, or is that only Charlie? Does she even have any other friends and family? We may never know because for the purpose of this film, Sarah is no more than the loving wife taken away far too soon.
Additionally, “The Amateur” does not have a particularly complicated premise or any plot twists to keep the audience on their toes. It does not create something new within the thriller genre, and the amount of plot given away through the trailer kills any suspense audiences may typically enjoy.
However, the story is told in an excellent manner, laying down the foundation for every move made to come not as a shock, but instead as an appreciation for fine storytelling. You may not be asking what will happen next, but rather the movie pushes you to ask how it will happen. How will Charlie get out of the grasp of several CIA agents and crime organizers? Yes, we all know Charlie is going to drop a man down 16-stories by depressurizing a pool, but how will he get away with it? Obviously, he’s going to get his revenge, but how will he avoid punishment from the very government he works for? As all the pieces come together, an appreciation for Charlie’s own genius begins to unfold.
Truthfully, one of the strengths of “The Amateur” is its refusal to paint Charlie as the typical spy agent. While typical tropes would follow Charlie learning how to fight and defeat his enemies with physical force, the film is adamant that Charlie excels as a nerd, not a fighter. Other films may pose Charlie as a man blinded by vengeance, allowing his normal instincts to fall away. “The Amateur” is sure to make the audience understand that Charlie doesn’t have the guts to pull the trigger at point blank range and certainly doesn’t have the skill for a long shot. But why can’t the computer science genius win against pure brawn and ignorance?
Although the final product may not be as action-packed as one might expect, “The Amateur” does offer an underdog story for all the nerds and mathematicians out there. Charlie’s strengths are not comparable to James Bond or Ethan Hunt — Charlie’s the guy in the chair, in the background, seeing and hearing what goes on behind closed doors. He can’t shoot a gun or throw a punch, but he can dig out anyone’s secret, keep government officials chasing their own tail and understands every possible legal loophole to keep his enemies alive and suffering.
Why do we choose to fear and admire muscles instead of intelligence? Maybe because it’s easier for us to envision ourselves as a part of a training montage where all the pieces click together and the fight was in us all along than for us to sit and crack open a book for once.
Or maybe it’s just a film about a man trying to avenge his wife in any way he can.
