The Amateur spoilers follow.
The Amateur might not be the latest mission for Jackson Lamb and co, but the new spy thriller should scratch an itch for Slow Horses fans waiting for season five.
Based on the Robert Littell novel of the same name, the movie sees Rami Malek play Charlie Heller, a brilliant decoder working for the CIA out of a basement office who is also a bit of a introverted loner, despite the best efforts of his wife Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan).
After another effort to get Heller to join her on a work trip to London fails, Sarah heads across the pond as Heller settles into his usual routine. But Heller's meticulously-planned life is rocked when Sarah is killed in a terrorist attack shortly after arriving in London.
Wracked by guilt and with his supervisors refusing to take action, Heller embarks on a dangerous mission to track down those responsible for Sarah's death and get his revenge. Is Heller a cold-blooded spy capable of killing though, or should he have stayed behind his desk?
You might know exactly where The Amateur will end up, but that doesn't stop it being a gripping mission along the way.
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It's not just that it's a spy thriller that we've made the connection to Slow Horses. The movie is directed by James Hawes, who directed the first season of Slow Horses, but also like that show, Heller is an outsider who doesn't quite fit in at the CIA.
Everybody underestimates him on his desire to seek justice for his wife's murder and, outside of his department, it's only really field agent Jackson O'Brien (Jon Bernthal) who gives him the time of day because Heller saved his life once. To be fair to the CIA, Heller does seem pretty useless at the spy stuff – at least initially.
Despite the serious nature of The Amateur's setup, it also recognises the absurd humour in the situation of Heller trying to be a spy, often messing it up in true Slow Horses fashion. He has to use a YouTube tutorial to pick a lock, for one, and survives his first assassination attempt by blind luck.
Crucially, Heller isn't stupid though. The Amateur understands why we like spy thrillers and shows like Slow Horses so much. As much as his superiors and targets might think they've got Heller sussed, he always has a trick up his sleeve. He's still an amateur by the end of it all, but the narrative tricks are satisfying and engaging.
Rami Malek proves an ideal fit for this role, largely because it's not too distinct from his Mr Robot days. He's fully convincing as the socially awkward decoder and equally awkward killer spy, as well as sharing a fun, unpredictable relationship with his CIA handler Henderson (an always-watchable Laurence Fishburne).
He even manages to just about make The Amateur's over-use of 'dead wife syndrome' work, although the movie's exploration of grief proves too shallow. There's a beautifully-written scene with Heller's ally Inquiline (Caitríona Balfe) about how people are always "trying to fill that silence" after a partner dies, but it's an exception, not the rule.
Luckily, The Amateur has excellent set pieces to see it through the overly-familiar plot. Heller uses his smarts, not his bullets, to track down Sarah's killers, leading to tense and original sequences. You might have seen the pool sequence already in the trailers, but it's arguably topped by a 'death by pollen' attempt which will horrify anybody with hay fever.
It's possible that some viewers might find The Amateur too much of a slow-burn, even with these moments. But for those hankering for a classic, well-crafted spy thriller, The Amateur proves to be an expert in its field.
The Amateur is released in cinemas on April 11.
Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
