The Amateur is a spy action thriller following decryption expert Charlie as he tries to avenge his wife’s death. The film invites audiences to consider the internal struggles a spy might face—especially if they’re ordered to kill. But harsh language and even harsher deaths may put it out of reach for families.
Not everyone is a killer.
Oh sure, we read spy novels and watch James Bond flicks thinking, “I could totally do that.” But when it comes down to the wire, most of us wouldn’t be able to squeeze the trigger and end another person’s life.
Charlie Heller is not a killer.
That’s what his boss, a director within the CIA tells him. That’s what his handler, trained assassin Henderson, tells him. It’s even what Schiller, a paid mercenary who killed Charlie’s wife in a hostage situation, tells him.
Charlie doesn’t care what any of those people say, though. He knows that Schiller and three others are responsible for the murder of his wife, Sarah. He knows that his boss, Director Moore, very likely hired those same mercs for a black ops mission—and that the hostage situation took place when that mission turned sour.
And Charlie also knows that if he doesn’t find a way to bring Sarah’s killers to justice himself, nobody will.
When Charlie first sets out, his only thought is of revenge. However, Charlie meets people along the way who help him realize that Sarah never would have wanted him to turn into a killer. She would have wanted him to move on with his life.
That said, Charlie plays a part in the deaths of several people before he reaches this conclusion. But ultimately, he makes the right decision, bringing the remaining bad guys to justice through legal means rather than personal vendetta.
Several women wear hijabs. Someone makes a joke about a nun.
Charlie and Sarah kiss and flirt. Flashbacks show the couple displaying affection in other ways. We see Charlie showering from the shoulders up.
A woman asks a man to sleep next to her. They cuddle, but only to provide comfort to each other.
People dance at a club. Many of the female dancers wear revealing outfits. We see a man swimming in a Speedo-style swimsuit.
An explosion kills a man. Charlie rigs a glass swimming pool suspended between two buildings to shatter and fall, sending a single swimmer to his death below. A car accidentally hits and kills a woman. Two men shoot each other (though one survives). A woman is shot and killed as she flees special agents.
Charlie’s first target is a woman with severe allergies. He uses high doses of pollen to torture her for information about Schiller. But when it appears the woman might suffocate, he releases her from the locked cage where she is trapped. She tackles Charlie, and the two exchange several blows before the woman runs away. Charlie cuts his hand on broken glass during the exchange and receives several scratch marks to the neck.
Armed agents fire multiple weapons at Charlie and an ally. Charlie is chased several different times, often shoving bystanders out of his way. Someone uses a small, non-lethal explosion to create a distraction. Charlie employs fear tactics to torture his victims before they die. A man is knocked unconscious.
Two men tackle and fight each other, using their fists, feet, a knife, a baton and even a clothes dryer.
Charlie watches videos showing the events that took place before and during the hostage situation that claimed his wife’s life. Initially, the mercenaries shot some rivals in a hotel hallway. This drew attention, so they took Sarah and several others hostage. They shot Sarah after the police surrounded them so they could escape. (We don’t actually see this act, but Sarah is forced to her knees, and Charlie’s face drops as he continues watching the video.)
Charlie learns that several alleged terrorist suicide bombers were actually unsanctioned drone strikes that were covered up. A woman says her husband was a former KGB operative who was assassinated after he started helping the CIA.
While training, Henderson roughs Charlie up a bit, putting Charlie under great physical stress to test him. He also slaps Charlie a few times.
We hear 15 uses of the s-word. There are also instances of “a–,” “d–n,” “h—” and “p–ck.” God’s name is paired with “d–n” once, and Jesus’ name is also misused once.
Charlie drinks heavily in several scenes, sometimes in the grip mourning his wife’s death, sometimes to calm his nerves. People drink elsewhere throughout the film.
Charlie attempts to blackmail Moore into helping him because he knows that Moore is illegally running black-ops missions that have resulted in civilian casualties and several government coverups. When Moore learns Charlie is bluffing, he sends trained assassins to kill Charlie.
When Charlie realizes that Moore and Henderson are correct that he’s not a killer, he decides to employ other tactics to exact his revenge. He’s a bit of a computer whiz and uses his skills to create deadly traps rather than kill his opponents outright. And he uses the logic that those traps are technically escapable to justify his heinous actions.
Charlie commits other crimes, namely treason, on his revenge mission. That betrayal doesn’t sit well with him, though, and he even vomits at one point.
Reporters swarm Charlie’s house after Sarah’s death. Several of Charlie’s coworkers are rude and dismissive. Moore and other characters lie.
If there’s one thing to take away from The Amateur, it’s that being a secret agent isn’t a glamorous life full of beautiful women and Aston Martins. In fact, especially as it applies to Charlie, it’s quite the opposite.
Charlie loses the love of his life before his personal dive into espionage even begins. And as he quickly learns, taking somebody’s life isn’t just a matter of pulling the trigger. There’s an internal battle that takes place. And if that battle ends with you taking someone’s life, you’ll lose a piece of yourself.
Charlie tries to justify his actions. He says Sarah deserved more than the death she received. By setting traps for her killers instead of killing them outright, he believes he’s providing the opportunity for them to escape.
In the end, Charlie does realize that killing the people responsible for Sarah’s demise won’t make him feel better: Sarah will still be gone when it’s all over. Unfortunately for audiences watching, he doesn’t realize this until after he’s accrued a sizable body count.
Those deaths and some harsh language (uses of the s-word and abuses of the Lord’s name) make this film difficult to watch. And perhaps families would be better served learning the same lesson as Charlie before they watch: Watching people die—even, perhaps, people who seemingly have it coming—won’t make you feel good.
Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.
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