Directed by James Hawes, this adaptation of Robert Littell’s 1981 novel is not trying to reinvent the spy genre, but it does manage to slide a tissue-worthy tale of grief and purpose into a movie filled with encrypted data, shadowy figures and international conspiracies. Viewers expecting John Wick: CIA Edition might be caught off guard, in the best way. What starts with loss quickly snowballs into one man’s mission that feels less like a standard hero arc and more like an internal combustion of rage and regret wrapped in a trench coat.
Casting Rami Malek as Charlie, a socially awkward decoder from Langley who gets thrust into a very literal world of hurt, is a masterstroke. Malek does not just act, he simmers. His performance brings a haunting intensity to a character who is anything but typical. There is no bravado here, just a quiet desperation fueling his every move. Somehow, Malek manages to blend vulnerability with sharp, unnerving precision, making his transition from cryptographer to unorthodox field operative feel oddly plausible.
Revenge is a love language
But make no mistake, this is not a Nicholas Sparks novel with silencers. The action is crisp, the tension palpable and the chases, both physical and psychological are executed with sharp direction and a strong supporting cast. Laurence Fishburne brings gravitas as a conflicted superior, while Rachel Brosnahan gives soul to a character that might have otherwise been reduced to a narrative device. Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal and Michael Stuhlbarg also add depth, keeping the momentum grounded with layers of murky morality and shifting allegiances.
Now, let us talk about that ending without talking about that ending. Yes, it is emotionally satisfying. Yes, it ties things together in an unexpected way. But is it believable? Well, not entirely. Some might argue it stretches logic like a wiretap on a dial-up modem. Yet somehow, the film earns the right to get away with it. It is as if the audience has been conditioned by the film’s slower, cerebral build-up to accept a little narrative absurdity for the sake of emotional payoff.
Genre-bender worth watching
It may follow the nice guy goes rogue formula to some extent, but it plays out with an emotional honesty that sets it apart from other entries in the genre. Think Taken, but the dad has a psychology degree, speaks five languages and flinches when he fires a gun. That is the kind of film this is.
It is not flawless but it is fearless in its emotional ambition. A film that asks: what if the quiet guy in the back room is the most dangerous man in the building?
CAST: Rami Malek, Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, Caitríona Balfe, Jon Bernthal
PLOT: 6/10
ACTING: 7/10
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