"The Amateur" is a 2025 American action thriller film that follows CIA cryptographer Charlie Heller as he seeks revenge for his wife's death in a terrorist attack. Unable to get action from his supervisors, Heller takes matters into his own hands and embarks on a dangerous global trek to track down those responsible. The film blends espionage with themes of vengeance, exploring how far an ordinary person will go when pushed to extremes. "The Amateur" was directed by James Hawes, with a screenplay by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli, based on the 1981 novel by Robert Littell. The movie was released on April 11, 2025, by 20th Century Studios. As of July 17, 2025, "The Amateur" is available for streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
- Director: James Hawes
- Rami Malek as Charles "Charlie" Heller
- Rachel Brosnahan as Sarah Heller
- Laurence Fishburne as Robert "Hendo" Henderson
- Caitríona Balfe as Inquiline Davies
- Michael Stuhlbarg as Horst Schiller
- Holt McCallany as CIA Deputy Director Moore
- Julianne Nicholson as CIA Director Samantha O'Brien
- Jon Bernthal as Jackson O'Brien a.k.a. The Bear
"The Amateur" received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a critics' score of 62% based on 196 reviews, with the consensus stating, "Rami Malek is a compellingly unconventional action hero in the otherwise formulaic The Amateur, which dispenses justice with solid execution but a curious lack of emotional stakes". The audience score is higher, at 87%. Metacritic assigned the film a score of 52 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.
As of June 9, 2025, "The Amateur" has grossed $40.8 million in the United States and Canada, and $55.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $96 million. During its opening weekend, the film earned $15 million domestically and $17 million internationally, totaling a $32 million global debut. The film has not received any major awards or nominations as of yet.
