Want to hear more from the actors and creators of your favorite shows and films? Subscribe to The Cinema Spot on YouTube for all of our upcoming interviews!
Lead Critic for the site, as well as serving as an editor when needed.
Character-driven action films were hugely popular during the late 1970s and continued throughout a majority of the 1980s. Thrillers then took over in the 1990s. Recent film franchises such as John Wick and even Mission: Impossible are fantastic modern displays of the same. As a result, Gavin O’Connor’s The Accountant 2 feels like the first sequel in what could be another genre film franchise. Ben Affleck (Armageddon, Daredevil, The Town, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, Triple Frontier) and Jon Bernthal (Fury, Sicario, Baby Driver, Widows, The Many Saints of Newark, We Own This City) display even better chemistry than they did in the first film. Bill Dubuque (The Judge, Ozark) returns to helm the film’s script, too.
Execution is Everything
Considering this film contains much of the same cast and crew from the first, it’s what makes The Accountant 2 succeed. While not much is necessarily revealed of the eight years since we last saw many of these characters, upon the murder of Raymond King (J.K. Simmons), Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) continues his investigation. She finds Christian Wolff (Affleck), and they inevitably require the help of his brother, Braxton (Bernthal). The script is written pretty well in that while Medina does almost die in a well-tense scene, she isn’t necessarily written out. Somehow, she continues to play an important role in the plot after her survival.
The plot itself is somewhat similar to the first film. However, the stress on finding a particular assassin is broken up with other great beats. Christian and Braxton both get their own moments to shine before their inevitable team-up. The film excels best whenever they are on screen together. Surprisingly, this film features some of the best dialogue for Ben Affleck in particular. Christian has some funny one-liners here and there. Yet, he’s also quite a stoic character who just wants to accomplish the task at hand, regardless of his condition.
Likewise, Bernthal is a great juxtaposition for Affleck’s Christian. They almost feel like real siblings. Their tactical ability during the film’s final climax is noteworthy. Overall, the two actors have quite a lot of fun in the roles of these characters. This shines through on the screen and is much of the film’s charm.
The Accountant 2‘s Antagonist(s)
The film has two villains, somewhat. Anaïs (Daniella Pineda) is unique in that, within the film, she is clearly played by two actresses. However, Pineda could have just worn some makeup. It’s not bad in that way, but it was an unexpected technique for the film, particularly. Pineda plays the role of Anaïs quite well; yet, the biggest complaint has to be that she doesn’t have more time to fight Affleck and Bernthal. The third act shifts into a human trafficking type beat, which is pretty welcoming. It gives a perfect time to shine for Affleck and Bernthal’s technical prowess.
Technical Details
The Accountant 2’s final big firefight features a great one-take by O’Connor and cinematographer Seamus McGarvey (The Avengers, Nocturnal Animals, Black Mirror Series 3 Episode 1 – “Nosedive”, Life, Bad Times at the El Royale). Here, Christian and Braxton glide through the frame while laying down almost too much firepower.
Meanwhile, returning editor Richard Pearson (Scary Movie 2, Men in Black II, The Bourne Supremacy, Quantum of Solace, Kong: Skull Island) helps enhance many shots of Christian as he puts together the puzzle. Likewise, Dubuque’s script is an improvement on the original film, and perhaps most importantly, it keeps the entire series’ narrative cohesive because he created these characters. If he could helm the anticipated third film, or maybe take on a co-writer, another film can succeed. The inclusion of the Harbor Neuroscience Academy and its live-in students is also a welcoming addition.
The scene wherein Medina is almost killed by Anaïs is juxtaposed with Christian rushing on his motorcycle to her rental home, hitting 200 miles per hour at one point. The film’s score by Bryce Dessner (Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths) enhances everything on screen, which is just fantastic. Moments such as this are what theatres were made for.
Final Thoughts on The Accountant 2
The Accountant 2 is a damn good time at the movie theatres. The film doesn’t try too hard and feels better than expected. Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal could make several more of these films with much success. Many of the sequel’s scenes simply make the audience root for them despite their smart assery towards some of the beats. The character development, while driven through the action, makes the film successful. This time, both characters are better off. Unlike films like the John Wick films, tragedy doesn’t really drive these guys. This is a great difference for many of these genre films. Regardless, it is all fun and entertaining.
4/5 stars
Gavin O’Connor and Bill Dubuque’s The Accountant 2 is now playing in theatres everywhere!
For more action, drama, mystery, and thriller-related news and reviews, follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky! Also, follow us on Letterboxd for further feature film, short film, and limited series reviews!
Lead Critic for the site, as well as serving as an editor when needed.
