The Amateur
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: April 11, 2025 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
52
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 37 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
22
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzApr 10, 2025
It is respectful and smooth filmmaking that never loses sight of its one and only goal: keeping its audience hooked. Read full review
75
The PlaylistRodrigo PerezApr 11, 2025
At the very least, the skillful film generally doesn’t insult the audiences intelligence and generally is a lot smarter and sharper than most mainstream moves in cineplexes these days. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMichael OrdoñaApr 8, 2025
The result is a genre entry that avoids the missteps of so many spy movies — the superhero protagonist, the mission not being compelling, relying too much on action sequences and predictable betrayals. Instead, it invests in its world, its relationships, and its premise. Read full review
70
The Daily BeastNick SchagerApr 8, 2025
Unsurprising from start to finish and yet proficiently executed thanks to its impressive cast, it’s the definition of serviceable. Read full review
70
IGNEric GoldmanApr 8, 2025
It mixes the throwback feel of an old-school spy story with an engaging scenario about a tech-savvy CIA analyst thrust into the field for decidedly dark reasons. The direction and a strong cast help sell this vibe and make for an entertaining time, even if it comes to a less-than-satisfying conclusion. Read full review
70
ColliderJeff EwingApr 8, 2025
The film is at its best when Heller is executing novel kills or blackmailing his bosses, and we're given just enough of those adrenaline-pumping scenes to make it all work together well. The Amateur strikes that delicate balance often (though not universally), but it works well enough when it counts, for an outing worth seeing. Read full review
70
Screen RantTatiana HullenderApr 8, 2025
Yes, Charlie Heller (a brilliant Rami Malek) spends an appropriate amount of time dreaming up memories of his beautiful wife Sarah (an underutilized Rachel Brosnahan), but the screenplay by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli offers plenty more than the usual setup of a man hulking out over a woman's death. Read full review
65
SlashfilmJeremy MathaiApr 8, 2025
The film is undeniably at its best when grappling with the push and pull of technology versus old-school espionage. Read full review
63
Washington PostJen YamatoApr 11, 2025
The Amateur may be off to a rocky start as a spy franchise, but it scores one for the IT crowd. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreApr 11, 2025
The Amateur may be a mixed-bag of coincidences, not-quite-plausible technological traps and narrow escapes, and a tad old fashioned feeling in this post-justice/post-accountability world. But Malek keeps us invested and interested in this quest. Read full review
63
The Associated PressLindsey BahrApr 8, 2025
The Amateur has a lot going for it -- but it takes also takes a while to get going. Once it does, it can’t quite maintain a level of energy and suspense needed to justify its runtime. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineGregory NussenApr 8, 2025
The Amateur is a relaxed and pleasurable throwback to the spy pulp of the 1970s and ’80s, yet told with a (mostly) honest appraisal of the C.I.A.’s ethical failings. Read full review
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