Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- brooding
- paranoid
- lazy saturday
- action movie night
What critics said
Critics found the film watchable and competently made but overly formulaic, emotionally shallow, and undermined by implausible plotting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Heller begins as a CIA decoder and intelligence gatherer before pursuing an operational mission after his wife's death.
Heller turns against CIA supervisors after they refuse to act on the terrorist attack that killed his wife.
Heller uses information from his dossiers to compel training, equipment, and access for his revenge mission.
The plot begins with a terrorist attack in London and expands through CIA-linked pursuit and covert operations.
Films like The Amateur, and why
The Bourne Identity
shares a cerebral amateur operative, international espionage, personal revenge, and conspiracy-driven thriller plotting
The Foreigner
shares a grieving protagonist pursuing covert government-linked assassins through an international spy thriller framework
Three Days of the Condor
shares an ordinary intelligence worker drawn into a dangerous conspiracy and forced to develop operational skills
The Accountant
shares a technically skilled protagonist using intelligence and improvisation to pursue vengeance against powerful institutions
Movie Details
- Director
- James Hawes
- Release Date
- 2025-04-09
- Runtime
- 123 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (1801)
Cast
- Rami Malek
- Holt McCallany
- Danny Sapani
- Rachel Brosnahan
- Michael Stuhlbarg
- Laurence Fishburne
- Julianne Nicholson
- Caitríona Balfe
- Jon Bernthal
- Adrian Martinez
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Amateur about?
- A CIA decoder weaponizes stolen intelligence and improvised fieldcraft to avenge his wife's death when the agency refuses to act.
- What is The Amateur like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Amateur as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Amateur violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Amateur as mild.
- What did critics think of The Amateur?
- Critics found the film watchable and competently made but overly formulaic, emotionally shallow, and undermined by implausible plotting.
- Which films are like The Amateur?
- Films with a similar feel include The Bourne Identity, The Foreigner, Three Days of the Condor, and The Accountant.
- How long is The Amateur?
- The Amateur runs 123 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Amateur?
- In United States, The Amateur streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
