When CIA analyst Charles Heller’s (Rami Malek) wife Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan) is killed in a terrorist attack he asks his supervisors if he can be trained to go after them himself. After he is denied he decides to blackmail them into gaining his opportunity. But can a man with zero killer instinct really take down a terrorist cell? 

The Amateur is the sort of perfectly accomplished thriller that ticks all of the boxes required of it to make an interesting watch but never does anything to make it stand out from the crowd. It is based on a 1981 novel by Robert Littell that was made into a film that same year starring John Savage and Christopher Plummer. For this version the Cold War elements have been replaced with terrorism and the ending significantly changed. 

This feature takes Heller all over Europe as his confidence in his skills grows and is greatly buoyed by its stellar supporting cast. Holt McCallany is suitably slimy as the CIA Director who prefers the old school method of getting things done. Laurence Fishburne displays his usual gravitas as the experienced old hand asked to train Heller. Rachel Brosnahan gives everyone a glimpse of her caring, loving side before she becomes the latest Lois Lane later this year. Michael Stuhlbarg delivers the sort of sneering villain who is so eloquent you might consider siding with him. And Jon Bernthal eats up the screen as a charismatic spy who offers Heller some assistance. Without the superb cast Malek might have found it harder to sell his jittery but determined introvert that fans of the TV series Mr. Robot might find familiar. 

You will not be disappointed by The Amateur. I just doubt that you would find a reason to watch it again aside from stumbling across it when channel hopping one evening.