One of the year’s best action thrillers is all set to land on digital release later this month. StarringJames Bondactor and Oscar-winnerRami Malekas the most unexpected action hero in years,The Amateurfollows a CIA pencil pusher who transforms himself into a merciless vigilante when his wife is killed.
Directed by James Hawes and written by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli,The Amateuris based on the 1981 novel of the same name by Robert Littell and finds Rami Malek leading the way as a mild-mannered CIA cryptographer who gears up andwages a one-man warafter his wife is murdered. Alongside Malek,The Amateurboasts an all-star cast that includesRachel Brosnahan(Superman), Caitríona Balfe (Belfast, Outlander), Jon Bernthal (The Punisher, Daredevil: Born Again), Michael Stuhlbarg (Call Me by Your Name), Holt McCallany (Mindhunter), Julianne Nicholson (August: Osage County), Adrian Martinez (Focus), Danny Sapani (Trance, Black Panther), andLaurence Fishburne(John Wick: Chapter 4, The Matrix).
‘The Amateur’ Ripped Off a Jason Statham Stunt, But That’s Only Part of the Problem
‘Mechanic: Resurrection’ and ‘The Amateur’ have a very similar scene, which just adds to the complaints that ‘The Amateur’ feels generic.
The Amateuris now reportedly set to get a digital release next week on June 10, with the action thriller then landing on 4K UHD and Blu-ray a little later on July 8. You can check out the official synopsis below.
“Charlie Heller (Rami Malek) is a brilliant, but deeply introverted decoder for the CIA working out of a basement office at headquarters in Langley whose life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. When his supervisors refuse to take action, he takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a dangerous trek across the globe to track down those responsible, his intelligence serving as the ultimate weapon for eluding his pursuers and achieving his revenge.”
‘The Amateur’ Was a Big Hit With Audiences
Upon release back in April,The Amateurracked up solid numbers at the box office. Particularly in this modern era of franchises and comic book movies. Against a budget of around $60 million, Rami Malek’s action outing grossed $95.8 million worldwide, making the movie a financial success. The critical response, however, was a little mixed. Turning to Rotten Tomatoes,The Amateurachieved a middling rating of 60% from critics, many of whom praised Malek’s performance but took issue with the movie’s predictability. In stark contrast, audiences were far more enamored with the unconventional action hero’squest for vengeance, landingThe Amateura far more promising 88%.
Jeff Ewing of Collider found much to enjoy, declaring The Amateur “a clever spy thriller that’s a little slower and more introspective than one might imagine, but strong performances and some well-executed (but occasionally logic-straining) plot twists and set-pieces elevate the film into something well worth seeing.” Sadly,MovieWeb’s own Julian Romanfelt rather different, criticizing the movie’s “implausible” plot and adding, “there’s never any doubt about the outcome, but you do enjoy cold-blooded mercenaries getting their lethal comeuppance. Let’s just say our angry protagonist gets creative in ruthless retribution.”
Source: 20th Century,Collider
The Amateur
