The Amateur
2025 · Directed by James Hawes
Original language: English
- thriller
- action
The story
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.
What it’s like
Cool, grounded thriller textures: rain-slicked London streets at dusk, sodium-lamp orange and cold blue interiors, and the flat fluorescent wash of government offices where the protagonist works. Camera work leans toward tight handheld following in the action beats, with the frame pulling back to quiet, controlled compositions in the analyst's cramped workspace, so stillness and motion sit in sharp contrast. The score pulses with low synth and percussion during chases, dropping to near silence in the grief-heavy passages. The vibe is taut, wounded and methodical, a mix of procedural cool and simmering rage, best suited to a focused evening when you want momentum without chaos. A quiet, overlooked man slowly becoming dangerously capable, pushed by loss and institutional betrayal. Violence is frequent and often sudden, with fights and gunfire that are sharp and physical rather than gory; there is a wrenching early death, and some cruelty and menace throughout, but no sexual content. It suits viewers who enjoy competent, stripped-back espionage and revenge stories rather than anything gentle.
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