The Amateur by James Hawes (2025)
After a CIA analyst’s wife is killed in a terrorist attack, he demands that the agency track down her killers. But when his bosses ignore his request, he decides to take matters into his own hands — no matter the cost. The only thing is, he’s a nerdy analyst who possesses no field training whatsoever. I enjoyed watching Rami Malek’s analyst use his intellect and IT skills to track down and take out terrorists while also staying one step ahead of the CIA; this cat-and-mouse game was The Amateur’s best part. And the film’s subdued tone was a nice change of pace from 007-esque pyrotechnics. Unfortunately, there are times when he’s almost too good at his job, which strains credulity and undermines whatever tension the film so obviously wants to generate. Also, the attempts to depict the analyst’s grief and emotional turmoil feel heavy-handed at times, leading to an ending that’s too neat and tidy considering everything that transpires beforehand. On a side note, I’d totally watch a film about Caitríona Balfe’s character Inquiline.
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