“The Accountant 2” An Enjoyable Action-Packed Thrill Ride

Before checking out “The Accountant 2,” I had to rewatch the 2016 movie since I really haven’t seen that movie since its initial release. Now, if you haven’t seen the 2016 movie, I highly suggest you do. The first movie is a solid thriller that delivers some great action and it also portrays autism in a relatively sensitive and progressive way.

Now that the sequel has finally hit the big screen, let’s talk about it!

Christian Wolff has a talent for solving complex problems. When an old acquaintance is murdered, leaving behind a cryptic message to “find the accountant,” Wolff is compelled to solve the case.

Realizing more extreme measures are necessary, Wolff recruits his estranged and highly lethal brother, Brax, to help. In partnership with US Treasury Deputy Director Marybeth Medina, they uncover a deadly conspiracy, becoming targets of a ruthless network of killers who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets behind.

When I first read online that they would be adding a touch of buddy comedy to the sequel, I admit I got a little worried. Then after watching “The Accountant 2,” they really made it work. While the long-awaited sequel still delivers great thrills and tense action, the buddy comedy element between the brothers really helps keep the movie feel fresh and entertaining.

Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal have great on-screen chemistry together and a lot of their scenes together are highly entertaining. The comedic timing between the two is great, especially during their brotherly bantering moments.

One scene they have together that’s really hilarious is when Braxton is coaching Christian on flirting at a bar, and in the same scene, seeing Braxton’s overjoyed reaction when Christian goes line-dancing with a woman (which, of course, ends disasterly).

“The Accountant 2” also delivers a lot of great intense action sequences that will really appease any action fan out there. All of the action-packed scenes are really well shot and also quite exhilarating. 

There’s another scene that really stands out where we see a group of young, autistic hackers retrieving a photo of an assassin and using the latest technology to manipulate every screen at a stranger’s house. It’s sort of a complex moment but it’s tremendously incredible.

“The Accountant 2” is a really successful sequel that ups the ante on the action, character dynamics and its entertainment value. In fact, this sequel is so entertaining that it’s almost better than the 2016 movie - still a tough call!

Cast: Ben Affleck (Christian Wolff); Jon Bernthal (Braxton); Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Marybeth Medina); J.K. Simmons (Ray King); Daniella Pineda (Anais); Robert Morgan (Burke); Grant Harvey (Cobb); Allison Robertson (Justine).

Writer/director: Bill Dubuque (writer) (The Judge; Netflix’s Ozark; The Accountant); Gavin O’Connor (director) (The Way Back; Warrior; The Accountant; Miracle).

Trivia: In June 2017, a sequel to “The Accountant” was announced to be in development. While development had stalled a bit, it really picked up momentum in 2021.

In February 2024, Amazon MGM Studios acquired distribution rights from Warner Bros. Through an existing deal, Warner Bros. will remain involved as the international distributor.

A third movie is said to be in the very early stage of development.

MPA: Rated R for strong violence, and language   (running time 132 minutes)

• In February 2020, Ben Affleck revealed there were talks about a follow-up to The Accountant (2016), but they had yet to nail down a script. At the same time, he also mentioned there were talks of developing a TV series based on the film.

• Allison Robertson replaced Alison Wright from The Accountant (2016) as Justine, but Wright still provides the computer-generated voice of the mute character.

• All the major cast returned for this sequel with the exception of Anna Kendrick.

• The film had its World Premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival in the USA on 8th March 2025.