Slow Horses director James Hawes’ new movie The Amateur has landed a fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but not by much.

The film stars Rami Malek as an introverted tech genius working for the CIA who decides to get violent revenge for his wife’s death.

Similarly to Slow Horses, he’s not the most competent spy at the beginning, but he uses his smarts and sheer determination to get back at those responsible.

At the time of writing, The Amateur has a 68% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 56 reviews. That score, worked out from how many reviews are generally positive rather than score, has hit the threshold to be certified fresh, but only by 8%.

Here’s what some of the reviews have said:

“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.”

Related: UK film release dates

rami malek in the amateur

20th Century Studios

“The Amateur skims the surface of what has worked in spy thrillers of the past, never finding its own rhythm, identity, or personality. A common phrase in criticism is ‘style over substance’, but while watching this misfire, I would have killed for a little of the former.”

“Despite flashes of promise, that extra gear needed to take its thrills from modest to gripping is not in its skillset.

“Operating with more of a steady pulse than a full-on thrill-ride, this revenge flick exchanges fists for brains with only decent results.”

Related: Cineworld issues warning to UK movie fans in special screenings announcement

rami malek and caitriona balfe in the amateur

20th Century Studios

“While The Amateur is pointed in the direction of cheap thrills, the script doesn’t follow through on the potential of the picture. A decent first half is replaced by a surprisingly snoozy second half, and while the cast does their part to add layers to their characters and maintain some level of presence, director James Hawes seems allergic to excitement, offering audiences a mess of motivations and supporting players competing for attention in a slowly-deflating movie.”

laurence fishburne in the amateur

20th Century Studios

“The Amateur isn’t a bad movie, it’s just a mediocre one. Its baseline competence is perfectly watchable. It’s just hard to imagine anyone signing onto this project with the explicitly stated goal of only making it watchable.

“Malek is in top form: His hangdog expression, unassuming demeanor and faraway eyes give Charles the appearance of depth and complexity, even when the screenplay fails him. Everyone else might as well be on autopilot.”

The Amateur is released in cinemas on April 11.

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Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he’s covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small.

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