Bring home ‘The Amateur’
Category: Blu-ray's and DVD's
The thrilling drama The Amateur is now available for home viewing. Rami Malek has outdone himself in this film about love, loss, and revenge.
Charlie Heller (Malek) is a analyst and decoder at the CIA in Virginia. He is brilliant at his job, has a loving relationship with his wife Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), and a passion for flying. He also has an interesting secret online connection with an anonymous spy which intrigues him as he works in a basement office but sees all the agents and CIA chiefs leading interesting lives. Nevertheless, he is happy with his job which he is extremely accomplished at and knows everything about technology.
When Sarah goes to London for a conference she is killed by terrorists, which leaves Charlie depressed and bereaved. He uses his genius mind to unravel the murder and ultimately discovers the group of four terrorists responsible for Sarah’s death. He takes this information to the higher-ups and is told they will handle it. But that does not satisfy Charlie.
With some files he accidentally discovered that would ruin their careers, Charlie coerces the Director (Holt McCallany) and his cohort into training him to go after the terrorists. He wants to kill them himself. Revenge is his top priority. By doing this he will get justice, in some way, for Sarah’s murder.
CIA operative Henderson (Laurence Fishburne) is tasked with training Charlie. He does his best but realizes Charlie is not a killing machine. Or is he?
Once Charlie breaks free from the training camp he sets out to track and destroy those responsible for Sarah’s murder. This is where the story really gets interesting as he uses his brilliant mind to locate the four terrorists and in his own way, one by one, strikes back at them for taking his beloved wife’s life.
The trail leads him around Europe. He knows the CIA is after him and he also knows he will not stop until he avenges Sarah’s murder. He manages to keep one stop ahead of Henderson who is tracking him while he stays focused on finding the four terrorists.
This is a gripping story, to put it mildly. Charlie’s technological brilliance is his best weapon. As he tracks the terrorists he meticulously plans their demise.
Meanwhile, the Director of the CIA (Julianne Nicholson) realizes there is a rogue element in the agency and sets out to uncover them while trying to save Charlie.
Needless to say there are several intriguing elements to this film. At the heart is the love between Sarah and Charlie that leads him on this journey. He may be outside of his element when it comes to killing but he is definitely in his comfort zone when it comes to creating the circumstances in which the terrorists find themselves before they die.
One of the more creative scenes is the sky pool where every night one of the terrorists swims alone. This pool is a bridge between two buildings. It’s ingenious how Charlie uses it to bring him down – literally.
Bonus features (may vary on products and retailers) are interesting and highlight how the film was made. One of the most intriguing element was the sky pool which was the most expensive scene to film. Another bonus looks at the creative minds and actors. Malek was both the star and a producer on this film, which made it more personal for him.
There is a look at the locations as well as the score.
Several deleted scenes round out the bonus features. Viewers can decide for themselves if they would have left them in the final cut.
This is a suspenseful story from start to finish. It is available on Digital beginning June 10, 2025 and on 4K UHD+Blu-ray+ Digital Code, and Blu-ray + Digital Code beginning July 8, 2025.
For an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, check out The Amateur. It is rated PG-13 for some strong violence and language.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.
Images supplied courtesy 20th Century Studios/Disney