I wasn’t expecting a sequel to The Accountant in 2025, mainly because the original was released in 2016, and it wasn’t very good. This sequel places emphasis on the action, which is actually impressive, albeit a mediocre plot. And the only characters that shine are the main duo played by Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal.
Christian Wolff is an autistic man who works as an accountant for morally gray clients. After the former director of the Treasury Department is assassinated, his protégé, Marybeth, finds a message that tells her to find “the accountant.” After the investigation begins, Christian decides that they need the help of his brother, Braxton, who is a contract killer.
The first movie didn’t get much mileage out of Christian and Braxton’s relationship, and it’s good that the sequel focuses on their bond. Braxton is set up to be almost the polar opposite to his brother, and he’s loud, impulsive, somewhat better in dealing with people, but also deeply insecure. Bernthal has played a number of obnoxious characters, and to his credit, he’s pretty good at it.
The plot contains many cliches such as human-trafficking in Mexico, a stone-cold killer with a traumatic past, and it even has a network of hackers who can do whatever the main character asks. Nothing terrible, nothing great either.
The first movie received flak for its inaccurate, stereotypical portrayal of autism, and that doesn’t change much here. I mean, it’s an action flick, where Affleck embodies the writer’s “What if an autistic person was also a trained killer?” sentiment -- so it’s unlikely to be an insightful or respectful portrayal.
Christian’s lack of social skills is used as a source of comedy in a few scenes. There’s an early one where he maximizes his dating profile for speed dating, which results in a ton of women lining up to be turned down by him. It’s a decent scene that might offend some people, and that’s this movie in a nutshell. The shootout scenes are fine, the fight choreography is above average but underutilized, and the subpar plot is only saved by the chemistry between Affleck and Bernthal.
That buddy-action angle is the best aspect of The Accountant 2, and it would have worked better with a simpler plot that focused more attention on their relationship, instead of the messy story. The plot twist towards the end is underwhelming, but the resolutions that Christian and Braxton find as brothers give the third act much-needed heart.
A movie like this makes for good popcorn fodder, whether it’s in the theater or on a streaming service. It’s a competent action movie, but ultimately forgettable.
Author Bio:
Ulises Duenas is a senior writer and film critic at Highbrow Magazine.
For Highbrow Magazine