If you loved
The Amateur
James Hawes · Film · 2025
What hooked you in The Amateur is the visceral transition from a quiet, ordinary life into a relentless, high-stakes hunt.
Books on the same thread
The Silent Corner
Dean Ray Koontz · Book · 2017
Like the protagonist of The Amateur, Jane Hawk discovers that her personal tragedy is tied to a sprawling, dangerous conspiracy that forces her to abandon her former life for justice.
Total Control
David Baldacci · Book · 2003
Sidney Archer shares the same harrowing experience as the lead in The Amateur, where a sudden, devastating loss strips away all security and leaves her questioning every authority figure.
The Silent Patient
Alex Michaelides · Book · 2021
The Amateur captures the shock of a sudden, violent loss that fractures a stable reality, mirroring the way Alicia Berenson’s life unravels in the wake of her husband’s brutal death.
Alex Cross
James Patterson · Book · 1993
Alex Cross faces the same wall of institutional corruption seen in The Amateur, where powerful agencies actively work to keep him from uncovering the truth behind a tragic abduction.
Series on the same thread
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan
Graham Roland · Series · 2018
Jack Ryan’s journey from a desk job to international espionage mirrors the trajectory in The Amateur, showing how a brilliant analyst can be drawn into a lethal global conspiracy.
The Terminal List
David DiGilio · Series · 2022
James Reece follows the same path of solitary vengeance found in The Amateur, as he steps outside the law to dismantle the forces responsible for destroying his personal life.
Gangs of London
Gareth Evans · Series · 2020
Much like the protagonist in The Amateur, the characters here are thrust into a volatile underworld where a sudden death triggers a desperate, violent quest for truth and power.
After Life
Ricky Gervais · Series · 2019
If the grief-driven transformation in The Amateur resonated with you, you will appreciate how Tony navigates the aftermath of his wife's death by discarding all social norms and constraints.
Podcasts on the same thread
To Live and Die in LA
Tenderfoot TV & Audacy · Podcast · 2023
This investigation mirrors the high-stakes personal risk seen in The Amateur, where an outsider must navigate systemic corruption to find answers that official channels refuse to provide for them.
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
The Amateur features an ordinary individual taking extraordinary risks for the truth, a theme echoed in this investigation where a man decides to expose local secrets regardless of consequences.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Amateur based on a true story?
The Amateur is a 2025 film directed by James Hawes that follows a fictional CIA decoder. The plot centers on his personal pursuit of justice following a terrorist attack in London, rather than documenting historical events or real-life figures.
What is the primary motivation for the protagonist in The Amateur?
The protagonist of The Amateur is driven by the death of his wife in a London terrorist attack. He decides to take matters into his own hands after his CIA supervisors refuse to take action regarding the tragedy that turned his life upside down.
Does The Amateur feature a CIA operative as the main character?
The main character in The Amateur is a brilliant but introverted CIA decoder. He transitions from his desk-based role to a more active, independent pursuit of justice after his supervisors fail to act following the terrorist attack that killed his wife.
How does the plot of The Amateur begin?
The Amateur begins when the protagonist's life is turned upside down by a terrorist attack in London. After his wife is killed in the incident, he discovers that his CIA supervisors are unwilling to take action, forcing him to intervene personally.