The Amateur

by

2025 sees a resurgence of the much-loved spy genre, with fans excitedly counting down to the latest installment of Mission: Impossible. Over recent months, they’ve been treated to tantalizing trailers and behind-the-scenes glimpses, keeping them on tenterhooks. Besides the new Mission: Impossible, there are other series like The Agency and Citadel available for fans to explore.

Currently, the plot is unfolding another thrilling spy narrative. The protagonist, Charlie, embarks on a mission to track down terrorists following an unfortunate hostage crisis. Yet, instead of broadening its perspective, this film seems to focus more on portraying sorrow, which unfortunately introduces two overused storylines that appear tired and lacking in creativity.

The Amateur Uses the Women in Refrigerators Trope

Charlie Hunts Terrorists For Killing His Wife, Sarah

As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but notice the persistent and disheartening portrayal of the “Women in Refrigerators” trope in the spy genre, particularly in the James Bond and Jason Bourne franchises. In both series, we see the female love interest meet a tragic end, serving as a catalyst for the protagonist’s quest for justice. A prime example is Vesper Lynd in the Bond films, who was a double agent and deeply loved 007, only to be sacrificed for the greater good of taking down Spectre. Similarly, Marie’s death at the hands of a sniper in the Jason Bourne movies propelled Matt Damon’s character to dismantle the Treadstone program. This trope, while prevalent, unfortunately continues to trivialize and diminish strong female characters, making their roles primarily as plot devices rather than fully-fledged characters with agency and growth.

In the opening scenes of The Amateur, the villains eliminate Sarah, a character portrayed by [actress’s name], to fuel the protagonist’s quest for vengeance. This pattern, where female characters are killed off to further the storyline of male protagonists, can be quite unsettling and problematic.

1. Charlie’s emotional breakdown occurs following Sarah’s death, yet it might have been merely an injury that caused it. Nevertheless, this tragedy doesn’t change the fact that Charlie uses his role as a CIA computer expert to pursue the wrongdoers, leveraging his intellect.

2. Upon reaching Turkey, Charlie teams up with Inquiline, a Russian woman whose spouse had previously informed on the KGB to the CIA before meeting an untimely end. She’s adept at handling and hacking, proving invaluable. Tragically, she meets the same fate as Bourne’s Marie during a high-speed car chase.

The Amateur Details

Writers Director Release Date IMDb Rating Rotten Tomatoes Score
Ken Nolan, Gary Spinelli James Hawes Apr. 11, 2025 6.7/10 61%

In a less intense scenario, one might argue that “The Amateur” excessively employs aggression, shock factors, and grim commentary, which seems devoid of emotion and monotonous. Moreover, it tends to portray women as mere props or storyline tools for the male characters, a practice that is both unengaging and problematic.

The Amateur Overdoes the Evil Agency Trope

Charlie Learns His CIA Department Works With These Villains

Previously mentioned characteristics strongly imply that institutions such as the CIA, FBI, and British Secret Service have been corrupted. The main characters uncover this truth, go into hiding, and are labeled as traitors. Occasionally, Bond betrayed MI6, Bourne realized the CIA was malicious, while The Recruit and The Night Agent portrayed certain parts of the CIA as villains. Similarly, The Agency depicted the CIA in a negative light, while viewers saw MI6 in Black Bag being used for underhanded purposes.

In a similar vein, even though S.H.I.E.L.D., part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, had its shady side, it was infiltrated by Hydra, leading Captain America and Nick Fury to flee. Eventually, they returned to cleanse S.H.I.E.L.D. of the corrupt elements. In The Amateu, Charlie discovers his CIA handlers are collaborating with Sarah’s killers unbeknownst to him, which means they don’t want him to eliminate them since they require these thugs for their illegal operations. Fortunately, Charlie manages to take out many of the villains and apprehends the leader.

In addition, Charlie unmasks the corrupt figures within the CIA, but this is an expected plot twist. A more intriguing approach could involve his superiors initially urging him to persist in his investigation instead of backing off, thereby implying they were honorable. However, behind the scenes, they could be guiding his field training under Lawrence Fishburne’s Henderson and subtly working towards eliminating the villains. This way, they could maintain plausible deniability while nurturing such a prodigious talent for their own gain. Such a twist would demonstrate that brains can be just as important as brawn in their organization.

Instead, the film deliberately creates tension and intrigue to make Charlie doubt everyone’s loyalty and find himself cornered frequently. This innovative approach could have revolutionized the genre since there aren’t many characters like Charlie in action movies – an aspect humorously touched upon by Jon Bernthal’s Bear in the film. The storyline could have offered a dual advantage: it would have developed Charlie into a formidable protagonist, while demonstrating the agency’s desire to advance and explore unconventional methods, such as employing masters of disguise. Sadly, The Amateur missed its chance by sticking to overused problematic stereotypes, resulting in a somewhat predictable narrative.

The Amateur is now in theaters.

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2025-05-01 00:52