There’s a big surplus of blockbuster action thrillers featuring a military-trained angry white man gunning down hundreds of criminals. It’s a very reliable formula for drawing in moviegoers, but perhaps a genre that’s quite difficult to stand out in. The Accountant 2 breaks out of this mould by aiming for much bigger heights than the first movie. Yet it’s also willing to have more fun with its rather absurd concept. When it commits to the silliness, the film is such a blast! But too much time is spent losing all momentum on a very serious and rather boring criminal mystery.
Taking place several years after the first movie, The Accountant 2 isn’t afraid to jump right back into this world. When Raymond King (J.K. Simmons) is suddenly murdered, agent Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) is spurred to action by King’s final message: “Contact The Accountant.” Following the clues, agent Medina teams up with “accountant” Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) and later his brother Braxon (Jon Bernthal). The trio must work together to uncover King’s killer and find out how his death connects to a certain family’s disappearance.
“The electric chemistry between Affleck and Bernthal is by far the best reason to give the film a watch.”
The electric chemistry between Affleck and Bernthal is by far the best reason to give the film a watch. Every scene they share is hilariously captivating, thanks to the superb childish sibling rivalry that contrasts with their murderous personas. Bernthal is a real show stealer, playing off Affleck’s stoicism perfectly while casually delivering the biggest laughs of the movie.
For a rather serious action thriller, it’s surprising how captivating this brotherly bond becomes. Bernthal does a lovely job showcasing his frustration with his brother’s emotional distance, while still having a sense of love and care. Bernthal’s story arc is shallow, but it’s a nice heart that helps the film stand out from its predecessor.
Ben Affleck’s character is tied to a rather interesting depiction of autism. The first film treaded a fine line. It was never the most realistic portrayal, but also one that didn’t feel particularly offensive or exploitative. The sequel muddies this line. On one hand, Affleck’s characterisation is a lot more grounded; his social interactions add fun levity and more empathy to the character’s journey. However, one scene features a school of autistic super hacker children that’s more akin to something out of X-Men. Whereas the protagonist is just one man’s personal struggles with autism, the school haphazardly depicts the disorder as some sort of universal superpower, which just makes you bad at socialising.
I’ve spent so much time discussing the brothers as the film simply doesn’t respect the rest of its cast. Agent Medina is such a failure at introducing an interesting female character into the mix. She simply serves as a boring figure to contrast Affleck’s antics, before being unceremoniously shelved to focus on Bernthal. From here, she’s nothing but a plot device used to motivate the male leads. I think even the filmmakers were aware of this issue, as very little marketing highlights the character. The mysterious female assassin is absent, even though both characters are far more important to the narrative than the brothers. I’m all for including more women in the fray, but I just wish it felt like they tried at all.
One disappointing element is the lack of accounting! This sounds like a ludicrous expectation, but both movies spend a lot of time building suspense through a convoluted story. While the first film ties everything to a tight money trail that fascinated the accountant, the sequel features a broader crime mystery that doesn’t relate to the protagonist’s skills. Despite the series name, accounting is a small element, but it was a nice touch that feels unfortunately absent here.
It’s not a very captivating mystery either. King’s death doesn’t link much to the accountant, and lingering threads tend to stagnate for much of the film before suddenly ramping up to a climactic finale. The final stakes don’t feel natural or earned, in fact, to me they were hilariously over the top, like we needed to sell way too hard that the bad guys are, in fact, quite evil!
Thankfully, when The Accountant 2 finally commits to the action, it’s rather brilliant. Fight scenes are short and snappy, but filmed in a way that’s clear and doesn’t rely on jarring cutaways. These scenes are great at building exciting tension while capturing a realistic and chaotic battlefield. Still, for the two-hour runtime, we could’ve gotten maybe more than a small handful of these scenes. The Accountant 2 succeeds in going in a bigger, bolder direction than its predecessor. Most of the time, this is for the better, thanks to its charismatic leads and enticing action. However, much of the charm has been lost within a needlessly complicated mystery. Still, it’s quite a fun experience overall, and one worth spending an afternoon with friends seeing.
The Accountant 2 is in cinemas now.
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Checkpoint Gaming attended a screening of The Accountant 2 as a guest of Universal Pictures Australia
About the Author
Wil Bain
he/him
Wil plays every type of game (because he cannot sit still), but tends to favour frantic action and epic RPG's. Outside of gaming, you can find him at the local swimming pool, or visiting the exciting sights of suburban Melbourne.
