PG-13

The Amateur

Don't underestimate him.

2025 • 123 min • Thriller · Action

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Synopsis

After his life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack, a brilliant but introverted CIA decoder takes matters into his own hands when his supervisors refuse to take action.

Our family guide

Best from age 13

Movie Knight Score

1696 reviews

60 Reviewers · 5 · 65%
69 Audience · 1691 · 35%

An introverted CIA decoder seeks revenge after his wife is killed in a terrorist attack. When his superiors refuse to act, he uses his unique skills to uncover a government conspiracy and take matters into his own hands, becoming an unlikely assassin.

Violence & peril: 6/10
Language: 4/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 2/10
Romance & sensuality: 1/10
Scary moments: 5/10

Heads up

Intense action and peril sequences
Discussions of terrorism and violence
Some strong language

What it models well

Justice and accountability
Resourcefulness in crisis
Personal courage

Talk about it after

The ethics of revenge vs. justice
Government responsibility and secrecy
Dealing with grief and loss

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Amateur. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

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Top billed cast

Director: James Hawes • Crew: Ken Nolan, Gary Spinelli

Trailers & clips

Now Streaming On Hulu And With Hulu On Disney+

Coming Soon

Buy It Now Only On Digital

Buy it Now Only on Digital

Buy It On Digital June 10 and Blu-ray™ July 8

Cinematic Male

Willing

Now Playing In Theaters and IMAX

Reviewer notes

Recommended
A Slowburner Spy Thriller That is SubversiveWatched The Amateur with Oscar Winner Rami Malek(No Time To Die) as Charlie Heller ,Laurence Fishburne(The Matrix) as Robert Henderson , Rachel Brosnahan(Marvelous Ms.…
Joogle83, TMDB Community

Not recommended
I wont mix my words the only way to describe "The Amateur", is painfully long winded and ultimately, boring as hell. There are a lot of things that could have been done with what is, essentially, an action thriller. Regrettably, the overly long lead in, combined with the unreasonably timid handling, leads to a anti climatic experience, where the pay off in terms of thrills and actual action, never really arrives.…
MovieGuys, TMDB Community

Recommended
“Heller” (Rami Malek) is the geeky “Jack Ryan” type, stuck in an office five floors below sunlight working on intelligence gathering and decrypting for the CIA. Intrigued by his latest set of dossiers from a deep throat somewhere on the internet, he suspects he has stumbled upon something nefarious.…
CinemaSerf, TMDB Community

Not recommendedTrusted family reviewers
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://movieswetextedabout.com/the-amateur-movie-review-can-revenge-heal-grief/ "The Amateur ends up being a mild disappointment, especially given the legitimate expectations raised by the talent involved, both in front of and behind the camera.…
Manuel São Bento, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
<em>'The Amateur'</em> is not all that believable or unique, but it without question made for a satisfying time at the movies for me. It feels like a long while since I've seen Rami Malek in anything; fwiw, <em>'Oppenheimer'</em> over a year ago. This makes for a strong return into my world. Malek is the beating heart of the movie, as you'd expect.…
r96sk, TMDB Community