Warning: this article contains spoilers for The Amateur.
Rami Malek’s new movie,The Amateur, follows his character Charlie Heller as he becomes an unlikely spy, and its ending sets up the possibility for more adventures in the future. The movie is equal parts a melancholic look at one man’s grief and an entertaining spy thriller. Charlie is a CIA cryptographer who discovers that the agency may be involved in dark dealings and uses the information toavenge the murder of his wife, Sarah. Charlie outsmarts and evades the agency at every turn, and he eventually learns the deeper connection between his boss and Sarah’s killer.
ByThe Amateur’s ending,Charlie has proven himself to be a worthy adversary of the CIA and Sarah’s assassins, but he ultimately realizes that revenge will not heal his grief and opts for justice instead. While Malek’s performance as a grief-stricken man out for revenge has been praised,The Amateur’s Rotten Tomatoes scorereflects that it has only been moderately well-received by critics, who have criticized the film’s pacing and the familiarity of the plot. Ultimately, the spy film works thanks to Malek’s Charlie, with one final scene showing how the character could come back for another movie.
How Charlie & Henderson’s Last Scene In The Amateur Sets Up A Sequel
Charlie & Henderson Develop A Begrudging Respect For Each Other
After leaving the United States, Charlie spends the majority ofThe Amateurboth pursuing his wife’s killers and running from the CIA, specifically his trainer Henderson. Henderson is clearly set up as being one of the best assassins working for the CIA, but Charlie continuously outsmarts him and the rest of the agents after him. After Henderson ends up getting stabbed part way through the movie, his fate initially seems unclear as Charlie leaves him behind to track Sarah’s killers.
However, at the end of the movie, Henderson’s status becomes much more concrete. After turning Horst Schiller over to Interpol,Charlie Heller makes his way back to the United States, where the agents who worked with Schiller are arrested, leaving Charlie free to go back to work. In one scene, Charlie gets in his car to find Henderson sitting next to him. Despite Henderson previously trying to kill him, the two shake hands, showing that they are both willing to move past their previous actions.
In this scene, it is clear that they have each come to admire the other, and they know they will see each other around again.
While the entire ending ofThe Amateurleaves a lot of openings for Charlie and several of the other characters to come back for future movies, thefinal scene between Charlie and Henderson is the one that most clearly sets up their paths intersecting again in the future. In this scene, it is clear that they have each come to admire the other, and they know they will see each other around again. Even more promising, their truce indicates that they could end up working together in the future, something that would greatly benefit the CIA in future missions.
The Film Leaves Their Endings Open For More
Image via 20th Century Studios
In a recent interview withEntertainment Weekly,The Amateur’s director, James Hawes, along with Rami Malek and Laurence Fishburne revealed thatthe scene between Charlie and Henderson was not included in the original scriptbut added laterto hint at what could come in the future for the two spies. Hawes stated, “We wanted the satisfaction of learning that Hendo was still definitely alive, not just a question mark at the end of the movie,” along with highlighting that Charlie and Henderson’s relationship could still be developed further.
Likewise, Laurence Fishburne noted how special it was to share the screen with Malek. The original ending, which left Henderson’s fate up in the air, would not have provided the same satisfying click between the two or hinted at an unlikely alliance to come. Malek shared the same sentiment as his costar, tellingEntertainment Weeklythat “to take Charlie’s story into further iterations would be an absolute joy.” Between the statements of the stars and their director,The Amateurwas clearly a great project that could continue to be fruitful in the future.
Will The Amateur’s Sequel Happen?
The Movie Will Need To Find Box Office Success
At the time of writing this article, there have been no announcements about whether a sequel toThe Amateurwill be picked up by 20th Century Studios. Knowing that several of the biggest names in the movie are excited about the prospect of a sequel is a good sign, butit will ultimately depend on the movie’s box office performance. After debuting this past weekend,The Amateurhas currently grossed $15 million domestically and $32.2 million worldwide, but with a budget of $60 million, the movie may have trouble breaking even (viaDeadline).
The audience reaction to the movie will need to be quite strong and favorable ifThe Amateuris to get a sequel.
After only four days in theaters, it remains to be seen whetherThe Amateurwill be able to hold on with audiences long enough to make back its budget or even to turn a profit. The audience reaction to the movie will need to be quite strong and favorable ifThe Amateuris to get a sequel. Spy thrillers are quite a popular genre which works in the movie’s favor, but the genre is so saturated with good options,The Amateurwill have to hold on strongly in order not to be forgotten among the crowd and earn a follow-up.
