7 action thrillers to watch if you liked The Amateur

(Image via 20th Century Studios)
7 action thrillers to watch if you liked The Amateur (Image via 20th Century Studios)

The Amateur (2025) is an American vigilante spy action movie directed by James Hawes, adapted from Robert Littell's 1981 novel of the same name.

Ad

The film features an A-list cast, including Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Michael Stuhlbarg, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, and Laurence Fishburne. Produced by 20th Century Studios and released on April 11, 2025, the story follows Charlie Heller, a CIA cryptographer who finds himself in the world of intelligence after a personal calamity.

While restoring a plane, his late wife left him, Charlie uncovers a plot involving secret drone strikes and international agents. Driven by justice, he transitions from analyst to field operative, facing the emotional and ethical costs of his vendetta as he questions the limits of revenge.

Ad

If viewers appreciated The Amateur for its themes of vengeance, moral conflict, and uncovering hidden truths, here are seven other movies that share similar elements.

Enjoy Apple TV+'s thought provoking new show HERE

Disclaimer: The following list is ranked in no particular order, and the opinions expressed belong solely to the author.


Munich and 6 other action thrillers to watch if you liked The Amateur

1) Source Code

Jake Gyllenhaal plays a soldier reliving a train bombing to find the attacker (Image via Prime Video)
Jake Gyllenhaal plays a soldier reliving a train bombing to find the attacker (Image via Prime Video)

Source Code (2011) is a fictional action thriller directed by Duncan Jones. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Captain Colter Stevens, a U.S. Army soldier who is transported into a simulated re-creation of a bombed train to track down the bomber.

Ad

Stevens wakes up on a Chicago train in another man's body, with no memory of how he got there. After the explosion, he is placed in a capsule and ordered to relive the last eight minutes using the Source Code program. As he uncovers the truth, Stevens questions his mission, his identity, and the reality around him.

Source Code explores a time-looping mission with a protagonist, much like The Amateur's investigation into moral dilemma and personal change.

Ad

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Peacock


2) Munich

A Mossad agent hunts those behind the Munich Olympics massacre (Image via Amazon)
A Mossad agent hunts those behind the Munich Olympics massacre (Image via Amazon)

Munich (2005) is a historical epic directed by Steven Spielberg and written in collaboration with Tony Kushner and Eric Roth. It is based on George Jonas's 1984 novel Vengeance, which recounts the Mossad killings after the 1972 Munich massacre.

Ad

The film follows Avner Kaufman, a Mossad agent leading a mission to track down those responsible for the Munich Olympics massacre. As the team operates across Europe and the Middle East, Avner grapples with the moral costs of revenge and questions the fine line between justice and retaliation.

Munich explores the complex price of vengeance, similar to The Amateur, which focuses on the psychological toll of seeking revenge.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix

Ad

3) Collateral

A cab driver is taken hostage by a hitman on a deadly mission across Los Angeles (Image via Prime Video)
A cab driver is taken hostage by a hitman on a deadly mission across Los Angeles (Image via Prime Video)

Collateral (2004) is a neo-noir thriller movie written and directed by Michael Mann and produced by Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. The movie tracks the abduction of Los Angeles cab driver Max Durocher (Foxx) by his fare, Vincent (Cruise), a contract killer embarking on a killing spree following a high-paying fare for several destinations.

Ad

As the evening wears on, Max gets caught up in Vincent's fatal mission, riding through a city fraught with peril and grappling with his own fears and ethical conflicts. What starts as an easy ride becomes a fight for survival as Max battles for his life and confronts his purpose.

Collateral echoes The Amateur’s intense atmosphere, placing an ordinary man in deadly situations that force him to wrestle with his conscience and survival.

Ad

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount Plus


4) Minority Report

Tom Cruise as John Anderton, on the run after being accused of a future murder (Image via Apple TV+)
Tom Cruise as John Anderton, on the run after being accused of a future murder (Image via Apple TV+)

Minority Report (2002) is a cyberpunk action movie directed by Steven Spielberg, adapted from Philip K. Dick's novella. Set in 2054 Washington D.C., the film depicts the Precrime unit, which stops murders based on visions of three psychics, or "precogs."

Ad

Tom Cruise plays Precrime leader John Anderton, who is a fugitive after being charged with a murder he did not commit. While on the run, Anderton finds defects in the system he previously believed in and begins to question its roots.

Minority Report tracks a hero who battles an imperfect system, similar to The Amateur's quest of seeking truth and challenging authority.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+


5) The Equalizer

Ad
Denzel Washington plays Robert McCall, an ex-Marine and DIA agent (Image via Amazon)
Denzel Washington plays Robert McCall, an ex-Marine and DIA agent (Image via Amazon)

The Equalizer (2014) is an action-thriller vigilante movie directed by Antoine Fuqua, starring Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, an ex-Marine and DIA agent.

Ad

McCall lives a peaceful life in Boston, working in a hardware store and spending his evenings in a diner. He gets acquainted with a young woman who is involved in the hazardous world of trafficking.

When the woman is harmed, McCall unleashes his hidden skills, drawing dangerous enemies as he fights for justice and confronts his past.

The Equalizer mirrors The Amateur in its depiction of an individual taking on powerful adversaries in his quest for justice.

Ad

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Netflix


6) The Beekeeper

The film follows Adam Clay, a retired government assassin turned beekeeper (Image via Amazon)
The film follows Adam Clay, a retired government assassin turned beekeeper (Image via Amazon)

The Beekeeper (2024) is an action thriller film directed by David Ayer and written by Kurt Wimmer, featuring Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, and Jeremy Irons.

Ad

The movie follows Adam Clay, a former government hitman who has retired to a peaceful life as a beekeeper in rural Massachusetts. When his friendly neighbor, a retired schoolteacher, falls victim to a phishing scam, Adam seeks revenge on the perpetrators.

As Adam investigates the scam, his hidden past resurfaces, pulling him into a dangerous clash with powerful foes and forcing him to confront who he once was.

The Beekeeper aligns with The Amateur in its depiction of a hero looking for revenge, uncovering a secret past, and battling enemies.

Ad

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+


7) Riders of Justice

Riders of Justice is a Danish movie (Image via Apple TV+)
Riders of Justice is a Danish movie (Image via Apple TV+)

Riders of Justice (2020) is a Danish movie written and directed by Anders Thomas Jensen. After his wife dies in a fatal train crash, soldier Markus is back at home taking care of his daughter, Mathilde.

Ad

When a fellow survivor drops a hint that the train crash could have been intentional, Markus joins a team of peculiar people to get to the bottom of things. With their investigation in progress, Markus encounters both outside threats and inner turmoil.

Riders of Justice mirrors The Amateur in its portrayal of a character driven by personal loss, exposing a deeper conspiracy while wrestling with internal struggles.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+

Ad

The Amateur premiered in theaters on April 11, 2025.

Edited by Shubham Soni
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications