The following contains spoilers for The Amateur, now playing in theatersThe Amateurcast Jon Bernthal as a potentially interesting spy character but doesn’t do anything interesting with him. Bernthal has steadily become a consistent presence in Hollywood, following up his breakout performance inThe Walking Deadwith notable appearances in Martin Scorsese movies and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Punisher. The concept of seeing the actor in aspy thriller likeThe Amateuris an exciting one, especially if he could bring that same level of depth and intensity to the role.
That’s what makes his minor role inthe otherwise compelling and entertainingThe Amateurso disappointing. Effectively serving as a quick contrast to the more neebish Charlie, Bernthal’s “the Bear” only appears three times in the film at all and only speaks in two of those scenes. He ultimately adds little to the film, which is a shame because the actor and the character had greater potential in the story. However, fans of Bernthal won’t have to wait long to see the actor dive into another firefight.
Jon Berthal’s The Amateur Role Is Disappointing
The Bear Only Appears A Few Times In The Amateur
Jon Bernthal doesn’t get much to do inThe Amateur,which is a shame given the inherent potential of “Jon Bernthalas a secret agent.“Bernthal plays a minor role inThe Amateur, which is largely focused on CIA cryptographer Charlie Heller. To highlight the differences between field agents and analysts, Charlie runs into Bernthal’s Jackson O’Brien, otherwise known as “the Bear.” O’Brien has a brief conversation with Charlie where he brushes off Charlie’s excitement to potentially hang out. O’Brien is then absent until late in the film, when he tries to convince Charlie to return home.
When he fails to convince Charlie to give up his mission of revenge, he leaves him to his work and departs from the film. It’s a surprisingly small role for an actor like Bernthal, who does bring a certain gruff confidence and brash jerkiness to the role. However, there’s so much more the character could have done. He’s largely forgettable, which is a rarity for characters played by the actor.He could have been one of Charlie’s few allies in the field, a villainous agent for Henderson, or a genuine wildcard. Instead, O’Brien barely leaves any impression.
Jon Bernthal Has A Bigger Action Movie Role In The Accountant 2, Releasing In 2 Weeks
Jon Bernthal’s About To Get A Big Action Push
Luckily,fans of the actor will get plenty of action in the upcomingThe Accountant 2, which will focus on Bernthal’s Brax in a big way. Bernthal appeared inThe Accountantbriefly as Brax, Christian Wolff’s brother. Brax will get a bigger showcase in the upcoming sequel, which forces the pair to work together to solve a series of murders, with much of the drama and comedy in the film building off the relationship between the two men. The trailers forThe Accountant 2feature some pretty impressive action beats, hinting that the film will be an exciting one.
Especially afterThe Amateur,The Accountant 2’s greater focus on action should be able to whet the appetite for Bernthalaction. What’s disappointing about the lack of the Bear inThe Amateurisn’t even the action, but the lack of any clear character importance other than highlighting Charlie’s arc. By contrast,The Accountant 2seems to be leaning into the world of differences that exist between Christian and Brax, placing their dynamic front and center. It’s somethingThe Amateurdidn’t do, and feels like a waste of the actor.
