There is less than a week until the premiere of Rami Malek's new spy thriller, The Amateur is an action thriller starring Malek as Charles Heller, a CIA decoder whose wife is killed in a terrorist attack. Seeking answers and vengeance, Heller sets out to take down his wife's killers, despite having little experience in espionage. Soon enough, the CIA realizes that Heller may be a bigger threat than he originally seemed.

The Amateur is based on a 1981 novel by Robert Littell, but other than that, it has no franchise ties. It is a completely independent thriller, led by television director, James Hawes. Yet, despite this, there are plenty of movies that have strong ties to The Amateur, whether it is through plot, actors, or themes. These films are certainly not mandatory watching before The Amateur premieres on April 11, 2025, but they may get audiences excited about the story they are about to embark on.

5 The ant

A Mathematics Savant Works For Criminals

To kick off the action thriller atmosphere, a good place to start is with The ant. Released in 2016, this movie centers on Christian Wolff, a mathematics genius who has a cover as a A, but in actuality, completes ing for dangerous criminal enterprises. When a Treasury agent begins to suspect him, Wolff takes on a new client, and discovers a discrepancy that leads to a steadily increasing body count. The film stars Ben Affleck, J.K. Simmons, Anna Kendrick, and Jon Bernthal.

The ant is a solid companion to The Amateur because both movies are action thrillers focused on highly intelligent men who are plunged into worlds of violence and crime. Using their intellect, they must outmaneuver their bloodthirsty enemies in any way they can. Not to mention, both The Amateur and The ant star Bernthal, who is a fantastic actor in his own right. Thus, The ant can easily set the mood before The Amateur's release.

4 Patriots Day

Law Enforcement Responds To The Boston Marathon Bombing

Another movie with a connection to The Amateur's cast is Patriots Day. Yet another 2016 release, Patriots Day tells the story of the real-life Boston Marathon Bombing, and follows several law enforcement officers as they race to catch the perpetrators. The film boasts a star-studded cast, from Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Bacon to Michelle Monaghan and John Goodman. Additionally, it has a strong 80% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The main tie between Patriots Day and The Amateur is Rachel Brosnahan. In Patriots Day, Brosnahan plays Jessica Kensky, a victim who loses her leg in the bombing. Meanwhile, in The Amateur, she plays Heller's wife, who is killed in a terrorist attack. Although The Amateur is far more fictional than Patriots Day, the movies shares themes of violence and a sense of urgency in taking down the bad guys. Ultimately, it is a solid action film that can easily introduce Brosnahan to more viewers.

3 Nobody

A Man Protects His Wife & Son

The most compelling element of The Amateur is the fact that Heller is tracking down violent criminals when he has no experience fighting crime himself. A film that follows a similar line of thought is 2021's Nobody. It is about a man named Hutch Mansell who fails to protect his family in the face of home invaders, leading him to question his own abilities. So, when his wife and son are once again in danger, Hutch steps up with a renewed sense of anger and power. Bob Odenkirk stars.

Nobody and The Amateur may have different plots, but at their core, these movies are one and the same. Just like Heller, Mansell is spurred into vengeance after he fails to protect those he cares about. Despite being just a regular guy, he throws caution to the wind and becomes an action star. Of course, Nobody is arguably more fun and humorous than The Amateur presents itself to be, yet the movie is definitely a good warm-up anyway.

2 No Time To Die

Malek Plays The Ultimate Bond Villain

Before starring in The Amateur, Malek boasted a rather long resume of movie and TV appearances, yet the project that comes closest to The Amateur in of themes, plot, and character is 2021's No Time To Die. In this James Bond franchise film, Malek plays Lyutsifer Safin, a hyper-intelligent scientist who is determined to destroy Spectre, forcing Bond to step in. The movie itself was well-received, but Malek's performance is particularly captivating. In some ways, Safin is like the evil version of his character in The Amateur.

By watching No Time To Die, audiences will get to see what Malek is really made of as an actor.

Over the years, Malek has played a wide range of roles which have varied in of their morals. He has been just as successful playing morally gray heroes as he has been playing deeply flawed and evil villains. By watching No Time To Die, audiences will get to see what Malek is really made of as an actor. Plus, they will get a sense of who Heller will be in The Amateur based on how Malek plays Safin, since both characters are geniuses pushed to their limits.

1 Die Hard

A Police Officer Single-Handedly Takes Down Terrorists

Finally, a movie that would be ideal to revisit before The Amateur is Die Hard. This iconic 1988 movie centers on John McClane, a New York City police officer who attends an office holiday party with his estranged wife. However, when a group of terrorists attacks, McClane realizes that he may be the only one capable of taking them down. Bruce Willis takes on the lead role, alongside Alan Rickman and Bonnie Bedelia.

In some ways, Die Hard feels like the blueprint of movies like The Amateur. Just like McClane, Heller is thrown in the deep end, faced with criminals who are far above his pay grade. Yet, using the skills he does have, he is able to take a stand for those he loves. Die Hard is an absolute classic in the action thriller genre, so there is always a reason to return to it, especially when new, similar movies like The Amateur are on the horizon.