The Accountant 2: Film Review
I didn’t think 2016’s The Accountant needed a sequel so I approached this follow-up with some scepticism and was pleasantly surprised by this solid action movie.
It’s been nine years so you might need a refresher (I certainly did). Ben Affleck plays Christian Wolff, an autistic accountant who helps launder money and cook the books for criminals. He is contacted by Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) from the U.S. Treasury to help her solve a case involving a missing family. When the case turns out to be more dangerous than anticipated, Chris recruits his brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal) for help.
The film’s best asset is the relationship between Chris and Braxton and the chemistry and banter between Affleck and Bernthal. The estranged brothers have to resolve their issues and work together to get the job done. They are very different people and it’s fun seeing their chalk-and-cheese personalities interact. Braxton is loud and brash while Chris is quiet and introverted. Chris uses his brain while Braxton uses his fists. My favourite scenes were just watching them hang out and shoot the breeze as well as their joint action sequences.
Bernthal has the flashier scene-stealing part and is very funny as a cutthroat killer who is actually pretty sensitive and has a lot of emotions pent up inside. Affleck counters that as the buttoned-up, serious person with no sense of social cues and other people’s feelings. You can’t help but laugh when he puts someone down without knowing. Affleck does well as the character, although the overall depiction of autism feels rather stereotypical, with every autistic person being depicted as a maths or computer whizz who can solve any problem. There’s no nuance to it – and they don’t even say autism by name – but what can you really expect from an action thriller like this?
The Accountant 2 takes on a pretty serious story that deals with human trafficking and the exploitation of immigrants. The plot revolves around a multi-national conspiracy that didn’t intrigue me as much as it should have done – until the final act. There was a particular character reveal that felt incredibly dumb and far-fetched and I was unwilling to believe it for a good chunk of time. It’s also a bit too long and needed to be about 20 minutes shorter.
It’s been a long time since the first movie came out so I had completely forgotten everything that happened. I’d highly recommend a rewatch, or at least refresh your memory on the original’s plot and characters so you can remember who everybody is.
Bolstered by good action sequences and a fun buddy comedy vibe between Affleck and Bernthal, The Accountant 2 is a solid thriller. There doesn’t need to be another sequel, but that’s already in the works!
In cinemas from Friday 25th April
Rating: 3 out of 5.
