'The Amateur' review: Rami Malek leads an average thriller that lacks identity

Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

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A movie radiating big 2003 energy, James Hawes’ moderately engaging, though ultimately unremarkable, “The Amateur” is the kind of high-stakes, low-return thriller that would’ve thrived in TNT’s cable movie ecosystem. On one hand, it’s refreshing to see a traditional studio programmer that isn’t based on existing IP; on the other, you’d hope the end result would feel a little less stagnant—especially with a more polished lead performance. While it’s a competently made film boasting a murderer’s row of “hey, I know that person!” actors, “The Amateur” is ultimately a C-list version of a “Mission: Impossible” or Jason Bourne installment.

Rami Malek (“Mr. Robot,” “Bohemian Rhapsody”) stars as CIA analyst Charles Heller, a brainy tech whiz with a knack for puzzles and NSA surveillance tools, who morphs into a reluctant vigilante after his wife (Rachel Brosnahan) is killed during a business trip in London. Heller’s “unique” set of skills don’t quite rival those of John Wick or Ethan Hunt, but he does have the brainpower to hack into government mainframes and exploit highly classified intel to track down his wife’s killers. Some of them meet their demise in creative ways—as if Kevin McCallister had the full backing of the federal government. A sequence involving a high-rise swimming pool crashing down from the sky is particularly memorable.

Yet the film’s biggest hurdle is making us believe that Charles is actually capable of pulling the trigger when it matters most. His trainer, played by a grizzled Laurence Fishburne, even questions his killer instinct. There’s a fundamental ruthlessness missing from the character—he’s too much of a nice guy for the audience to ever buy him as a cold-blooded avenger. Whether or not he ultimately crosses that line is left deliberately ambiguous during a muddled final confrontation that attempts to muse on justice and morality, but never quite sticks the landing.

The film gets occasional boosts from its supporting cast—Jon Bernthal, Holt McCallany, and Julianne Nicholson all bring presence and energy—but none of it elevates Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli’s pedestrian screenplay. What we’re left with is a thoroughly average action thriller that flickers to life in short bursts but never finds sustained momentum—or, more critically, its own identity.

Still, for adult audiences who are burnt out on endless sequels and reboots, this might be just enough of a reason to make a trip to the theater. If “The Amateur” manages that, then perhaps it serves a purpose after all.

Grade: C+ 

THE AMATEUR is now playing in theaters.