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What is the plot?
The Amateur opens with CIA cryptographer Charlie Heller meticulously restoring an old Cessna airplane, a gift from his wife Sarah before she departs for a business trip to London. Charlie's life is quiet and routine, centered on his work at the CIA's Decryption and Analysis division, where he maintains a close friendship with field agent Jackson O'Brien, nicknamed "The Bear," and communicates regularly with an anonymous informant known only as "Inquiline." This informant provides Charlie with classified files revealing that Special Activities Center Director Alex Moore and his deputy Caleb Horowitz have been orchestrating unsanctioned drone strikes in the Middle East, disguising them as suicide bombings to serve their own political agendas.
Charlie's world shatters when CIA Director Samantha O'Brien summons him to deliver devastating news: Sarah has been killed during a hostage situation in London. Initially refusing to accept her death, Charlie is forced to confront the reality after viewing surveillance footage showing Sarah being taken by armed men. He later receives her belongings and her body, including a puzzle she had intended to give him, which deeply moves him.
Driven by grief and a thirst for justice, Charlie investigates the attack and identifies the four terrorists responsible: Mishka Blazhic, a Belarusian criminal; Ellish, a South African ex-special forces operative; Gretchen Frank, a former Armenian intelligence officer; and Horst Schiller, the elusive mastermind who pulled the trigger on Sarah. Surveillance footage reveals that Sarah had heroically defended another woman and was taken hostage in her place. Charlie demands that Moore and Horowitz pursue the killers, but they dismiss his pleas, insisting they are focused on dismantling Schiller's entire network.
Refusing to be sidelined, Charlie confronts Moore with the incriminating evidence of the drone strikes, threatening to expose their crimes. He demands resources and specialized training at the CIA's secretive "Farm" facility to personally hunt down the terrorists. Though initially mocked, Charlie's threat of a dead man's switch--a device that will automatically leak classified documents if he fails to check in every five hours--forces Moore and Horowitz to acquiesce. They send Charlie to Camp Peary, where he trains under Colonel Robert "Hendo" Henderson. Despite Charlie's proficiency in bomb-making, Henderson concludes that Charlie lacks the killer instinct necessary for field operations.
Meanwhile, Moore and Horowitz, suspecting Charlie's bluff about the dead man's switch, search for it but find only a cleverly hidden CD in a bar jukebox. Realizing Charlie's threat is a ruse, they order Henderson to eliminate him. However, Charlie anticipates this and escapes before Henderson can act.
Charlie embarks on a globe-trotting mission to track down the terrorists, beginning in Paris where he locates Gretchen Frank. Using lock-picking skills, he breaks into her apartment and discovers her allergy clinic appointments. Armed but hesitant, Charlie cannot bring himself to kill her. Instead, he traps Gretchen in a hypobaric chamber filled with pollen, demanding she reveal Schiller's whereabouts. When she appears to lose consciousness, Charlie releases her, but she flees and is fatally struck by a van. Charlie seizes her phone before escaping.
In Marseille, Henderson corners Charlie in a bar, but Charlie detonates an explosion in the bathroom to evade capture. Seeking assistance, Charlie contacts Inquiline, who reveals herself as Davies, the widow of a murdered ex-KGB officer. Together, they trace Blazhic to a luxury hotel in Madrid, where he uses the rooftop pool for private swimming. Charlie rigs the pool's glass to decompress and shatter, sending Blazhic plummeting sixteen stories to his death when he refuses to cooperate.
As Charlie attempts to flee, Henderson confronts him but is attacked by an operative sent by Samantha O'Brien, who distrusts Moore and Horowitz. In the ensuing fight, Henderson is shot but manages to kill the attacker, allowing Charlie to escape. Caleb Horowitz, realizing Charlie's connection to Davies, dispatches a Russian FSB strike team to Istanbul. During their escape, Davies is fatally shot, leaving Charlie to mourn her loss.
Charlie then travels to Romania, where he deceives Ellish by posing as an arms dealer. He traps Ellish with a bomb that detonates if he moves away, coercing him to disclose Schiller's location aboard a ship in the Baltic Sea and the names of his associates. After extracting the information, Charlie leaves Ellish to perish in the explosion.
In Primorsk, Charlie spies on Schiller's operation but is captured by Schiller's men and brought aboard his ship. Schiller defends his actions, claiming the hostage situation was a desperate measure to demonstrate seriousness after police blocked their escape. He offers Charlie a loaded gun to exact revenge, but Charlie reveals his true plan: he has hacked the ship's controls to steer it into Finnish waters, where authorities arrest Schiller and his men.
Following Schiller's capture, Samantha O'Brien holds a press conference exposing Moore and Horowitz's illegal drone strikes, leading to their arrests. She announces that the CIA has purged corrupt elements and that the whistleblower--Charlie--is alive and cooperating with the agency. Henderson, having recovered from his injuries, visits Charlie and admits he underestimated him.
The film closes with Charlie visiting Sarah's grave before returning to his shed. He finishes restoring the Cessna she gifted him and takes it for a solitary flight, symbolizing a new beginning after his harrowing journey.
Throughout the narrative, Charlie evolves from a desk-bound cryptographer into a determined avenger, navigating complex betrayals and moral dilemmas. The story intertwines intense action sequences--such as the rooftop pool confrontation, the hypobaric chamber scene, and explosive escapes--with political intrigue involving CIA corruption and covert operations. Each terrorist's demise is marked by Charlie's ingenuity and reluctant ruthlessness, underscoring his transformation amid loss and vengeance. The film's resolution ties up the fates of all major characters: the terrorists are eliminated or captured, corrupt CIA officials face justice, and Charlie finds a measure of peace as he honors Sarah's memory.
What is the ending?
The ending of The Amateur (2025) shows CIA cryptographer Charlie Heller successfully tracking down and eliminating the terrorists who killed his wife Sarah, despite the obstacles and conspiracies within the agency. After confronting his superiors who tried to cover up politically motivated drone strikes and derail his quest for justice, Charlie personally avenges Sarah's death by taking out the four assailants one by one, including the mastermind Horst Schiller. The film closes with Charlie achieving his mission through his intelligence and new deadly skills, exposing corruption and finding closure.
In detailed narrative form:
The climax unfolds with Charlie Heller, a CIA cryptographer turned reluctant assassin, embarking on a meticulously planned vendetta against the terrorists responsible for his wife Sarah's death. Early on, Charlie is devastated when CIA Director Samantha O'Brien informs him Sarah was killed in a terrorist attack in London. Despite sympathy from his superiors, Deputy Director Alex Moore and his deputy Caleb Horowitz maintain a detached stance, obstructing his involvement in the investigation.
Armed with classified intel from an anonymous source revealing Moore's complicity in masking drone strikes as suicide bombings, Charlie uses this blackmail to coerce the CIA into training him at the infamous "The Farm." Laurence Fishburne's character, Henderson, oversees Charlie's transformation from a desk analyst into a field agent with lethal skills, while secretly planning to eliminate him once his usefulness ends.
Charlie systematically identifies the four terrorists: Belarusian Mishka Blazhic, South African ex-special forces operative Ellish, former Armenian intelligence officer Gretchen Frank, and Horst Schiller, the elusive mastermind who directly killed Sarah. He begins his hunt in Paris, confronting the first target in a tense scene that echoes espionage classics. Clever and resourceful, Charlie leverages his intelligence background and new training to outwit and take down each assailant in sequence, navigating dangerous European locales while evading or confronting CIA operatives sent to stop him.
The final confrontation with Schiller is emotionally charged. It unfolds with meticulous attention to detail--the clandestine meeting spots, the shadowy surveillance, and the psychological intensity of facing the man responsible for Sarah's death. Charlie's persistence and growth culminate as he eliminates Schiller, fulfilling his personal mission of vengeance.
Throughout the ending, the film showcases Charlie's evolution--from a grieving, underestimated cryptographer to a determined agent capable of operating independently. The sequence emphasizes his resolve to not only avenge Sarah but expose the corrupt actions of his superiors who sacrificed innocents for political agendas. The closing scenes depict Charlie overcoming layered conflicts: grieving husband, blackmailed operative, and moral avenger--leaving him in a moment of hard-earned closure amidst the fallout of the agency's machinations.
Is there a post-credit scene?
The 2025 movie The Amateur does not have a post-credits scene. Multiple sources confirm that there is no extra footage or scenes during, at the end, or after the credits, so audiences can leave the theater once the credits start rolling without missing anything.
While the film leaves some story threads open that could be explored in a potential sequel, no post-credits or mid-credits scene is included to tease future developments.
Who is Charlie Heller's wife, and what happens to her?
Charlie Heller's wife is Sarah, played by Rachel Brosnahan. She travels to London for a business trip and is held hostage during a terrorist attack. Unfortunately, she is killed by four men involved in the attack, which sets off Charlie's quest for revenge.
What is Charlie Heller's role at the CIA?
Charlie Heller works as a cryptographer and decoder at the CIA. He is highly skilled in his job and has a close relationship with a field agent known as 'The Bear'.
Who are the main antagonists that Charlie Heller seeks revenge against?
The main antagonists Charlie seeks revenge against are four individuals involved in his wife's murder: Mishka Blazhic, a Belarusian criminal; Ellish, a South African ex-special forces operative; Gretchen Frank, a former Armenian intelligence officer; and Horst Schiller, the elusive mastermind behind Sarah's killing.
What role does 'Inquiline' play in the story?
'Inquiline' is an anonymous source who provides Charlie with classified information. This includes documents revealing that CIA Director Alex Moore and his deputy, Caleb Horowitz, have been involved in unsanctioned drone strikes disguised as suicide bombings.
How does Charlie Heller manage to pursue his revenge?
Charlie Heller uses his intelligence and resources to pursue his revenge. He blackmails Deputy Director Moore with incriminating documents to gain access to CIA training and resources. He then sets out to hunt down the individuals responsible for his wife's death, using his analytical skills to outmaneuver them.
Is this family friendly?
The 2025 film The Amateur is not family friendly and is generally recommended for middle school age and older due to its content. It contains extended scenes of peril, violence, gunfights, explosions, car chases, and crashes, as well as disturbing images that could be upsetting for children or sensitive viewers.
Other content considerations include:
- Strong language, including the use of at least one strong profanity and several milder obscenities.
- Emotional scenes involving grief and loss, such as a man (the protagonist) waiting for his deceased wife's body and expressing sorrow.
- Some scenes of physical distress, such as a vomiting scene.
- References to top-secret attacks, drone strikes, suicide bombers, and other intense spy/terrorism-related threats.
- The film explores the psychological and moral struggles of a CIA tech specialist forced into violence and revenge, which includes some intense dialogs and situations that address killing and revenge.
Given these points, parents and viewers sensitive to violence, strong language, and emotionally heavy themes should approach this film with caution. It is clearly intended for a mature audience rather than children or family viewing.
Does the dog die?
For the 2025 film The Amateur, there is no information in the available search results indicating that a dog dies in the movie. The plot synopsis and reviews focus primarily on CIA cryptographer Charlie Heller seeking revenge for his wife's death and do not mention any significant dog characters or incidents involving a dog dying.
Thus, based on the provided details, it can be concluded that the dog does not die in The Amateur (2025).