If you loved
The Amateur
James Hawes · Film · 2025
What hooked you in The Amateur is the visceral transition from a quiet professional life to a high-stakes, singular mission for vengeance.
Books on the same thread
The Widow: A Novel
John Grisham · Book · 2025
Explores: Secrets, Betrayal, Justice.
Like the protagonist of The Amateur, the lead in this novel finds his life upended by a sudden crisis, forcing him to take desperate, unorthodox steps to secure justice.
The Tenant
Freida McFadden · Book · 2025
Explores: Gaslighting, Hidden Identity, Secrets and Lies.
You will recognize the desperate, fish-out-of-water survival instinct found in The Amateur as this narrative follows a man whose comfortable life collapses into a dangerous game of hidden motives.
The Apostle
Brad Thor · Book · 2009
Explores: Hostage Rescue, Counterterrorism, International Intrigue.
If you enjoyed the high-stakes counterterrorism narrative of The Amateur, this mission will satisfy your interest in the intense, covert operations required to combat global threats and rescue hostages.
Zero Days
Ruth Ware · Book · 2023
Shares a thread with The Amateur: Grief and revenge.
Mirroring the grief-fueled quest for truth in The Amateur, this story follows a character pushed to their limits while navigating a complex web of corporate espionage and dangerous accusations.
Series on the same thread
The Recruit
Alexi Hawley · Series · 2022
Shares 3 threads with The Amateur: Fish Out of Water, Espionage Thriller, Action Thriller.
Much like the CIA decoder in The Amateur, this rookie agent is thrown into the deep end of international espionage, forced to rely on his wits to navigate lethal environments.
The Terminal List
David DiGilio · Series · 2022
Shares 2 threads with The Amateur: Revenge Thriller, Action Thriller.
The Amateur portrays a man acting outside of bureaucracy, a theme mirrored here as a lone operative seeks cold, hard vengeance against the forces that betrayed his entire unit.
Lioness
Taylor Sheridan · Series · 2023
Shares a thread with The Amateur: Espionage Thriller.
This series captures the same moral ambiguity and high-pressure training environment seen in The Amateur, focusing on individuals thrust into the dangerous realities of modern intelligence and clandestine operations.
The Night Agent
Shawn Ryan · Series · 2023
Explores: Political Intrigue, Government Conspiracy, Undercover Agent.
Fans of the conspiracy elements in The Amateur will appreciate this web of political intrigue, where an ordinary person becomes the linchpin in a dangerous government cover-up.
Podcasts on the same thread
CounterClock
Audiochuck · Podcast · 2025
Explores: unsolved homicide, seeking justice, historical mystery.
This investigative series echoes the amateur sleuthing spirit of The Amateur, documenting a determined search for truth as a journalist peels back layers of a long-buried, tragic crime.
Serial
Serial Productions & The New York Times · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Justice system flaws, Legal ambiguity, Deep-dive reporting.
If you were drawn to the gritty, investigative focus of The Amateur, this deep-dive into the flaws of the justice system offers a similarly compelling look at the pursuit of truth.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Amateur based on a true story?
The Amateur is a fictional thriller directed by James Hawes. The plot focuses on a CIA decoder seeking justice after a terrorist attack in London, but it is not based on actual historical events or a real-life individual.
What is the primary motivation for the protagonist in The Amateur?
The protagonist in The Amateur is driven by the death of his wife in a London terrorist attack. After his CIA supervisors refuse to take action regarding the incident, he decides to use his skills as a decoder to pursue justice on his own.
Is The Amateur a solo film or part of a series?
The Amateur is a standalone film released in 2025. There are no other versions or adaptations of this specific story in the catalog, and the narrative is contained within this single feature-length production directed by James Hawes.
How would you describe the main character of The Amateur?
The main character of The Amateur is a brilliant but introverted CIA decoder. Following the tragic loss of his wife, he transitions from his desk-based role into a self-directed mission to find those responsible for the terrorist attack that claimed her life.