Carl Roberts 
“With a dynamic partnership between Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal to anchor it, The Accountant 2 is a rare sequel that more than matches the original.”
Back in 2016, The Accountant hit movie screens and surprised us all. What many expected to be a typical thriller surprised everyone with its depth. Ben Affleck took on the lead role of Christian Wolff, an autistic accountant who launders money for some of the world’s most dangerous criminals. When hitmen come after him, he shifts from a mild-mannered individual to a fierce killer. One of the biggest surprises in the film comes from the character Brax, played by Jon Bernthal. Initially, the audience believes he is the main villain, but it is revealed that he is actually Christian’s brother, who assists him during the film’s climactic moments. Although receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film was a success, grossing $155. 2 million against a $44 million budget.
Now, nine years later, we get a sequel. The Accountant 2 sees Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal return to play Christian and Brax. They are rejoined by J. K. Simmons and Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who also reprise their roles from the first film as Ray King and Marybeth Medina, respectively. Daniella Pineda is one of a number of new actors to join the cast for the sequel. Amazon MGM Studios releases the film in the United States through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, while Warner Bros distributes it internationally. Can Affleck and Bernthal deliver another great movie, or should the film go bankrupt?
PREMISE
When unknown assassins kill someone close to her, Treasury Agent Marybeth Medina urgently contacts Christian Wolff to help solve the murder. With the help of his estranged but highly lethal brother Brax, Chris applies his brilliant mind and less-than-legal methods to piece together the unsolved puzzle. As they get closer to the truth, the trio draw the attention of some of the most ruthless killers alive — all intent on putting a stop to their search.
THOUGHTS
Of course, they can. The film is a delight from start to finish. With a tense and tight script that brings Chris and Brax’s relationship to the forefront throughout, some great action set pieces, some nasty moments, and some brilliant humour, it is a winner. It takes what we enjoyed about the first film and amplifies it. It is a guessing game throughout. Why was Raymond King assassinated? What was the reason behind his death? Who is the mysterious Anaïs, and what is her involvement in the whole thing? Can Chris and Brax win over Marybeth Medina and gain her trust to become an ally? And can Chris and Brax reunite and overcome the animosity that exists between them?
The fun is in the finding out. Last time, Chris and Brax didn’t meet until the finale, but here they are paired up almost from the off. Chris needs Brax to help him in his hour of need, while Brax just wants to know why Chris hasn’t contacted him since the climax of the first film. By the climax of this film, we are fearful that one of them may not make it out alive. That sense of foreboding that we will be losing one of them before the end credits roll. The pair grab hold of us and makes us care for them. With the mystery that starts the film off as the crux of the story, we are given a tale that holds us captive from start to finish.
BEN AFFLECK
The pairing of Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal is one for the ages. Although we didn’t get to see them together until the climax of the first film, we gained a sense of their brotherly bond. Brax tries hard to understand his brother’s world, while Chris has his own way of showing his brother he loves him, although it doesn’t come across as such. Affleck and Bernthal play off each other to perfection. Affleck makes us want to hold him tight, hug him and help him as he wanders his way through the world.
A world that doesn’t fully understand him, his traits or his ways, thanks to his autism. Although he does some nasty things during the film, he comes across once more as almost child-like. He displays an innocence that endears him to us. That innocence hides a brain that is much more complex and understanding than ours ever will be. Affleck steps back into Chris’ shoes with ease, returning to the role as if he had first played him yesterday.
JON BERNTHAL
Jon Bernthal, however, steals every scene and moment from underneath every other cast member. This is Bernthal’s movie, without a doubt. Affleck may topline the film, but Bernthal makes it as good as it is. When we meet up with Brax again, he is practising a speech he intends to perform to a lady later on. Just watching the usually violent (in TV and movies) Bernthal show an emotional side takes us by surprise. The next time we see him, he talks to a young lady, scared out of her wits, at a table while eating ice cream. Why she is so scared, we find out a few minutes later. But it shows Brax more positively, as it does Bernthal.
The actor gets almost all of the comedic lines and delivers them with aplomb. Make no mistake, though, one minute we will be laughing alongside him, the next, we will be avoiding him as he goes into action mode. At times, we expect him to pull on the flak jacket again and become Frank Castle/ The Punisher. But Bernthal brings us a more sympathetic, heartfelt and reasonable character than we would have first thought. Taking the bar sequence alongside Affleck, for example, we laugh and cheer before the typical happens. But even then, we can’t help but cheer and whoop with delight at how it plays out. We know it’s coming, but it will still be a wonderful moment when it arrives. If you’re not a fan of Jon Bernthal before the movie, you sure will be after it.
CYNTHIA ADDAI-ROBINSON AND J.K. SIMMONS
The returning Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Marybeth Medina and J. K. Simmons as Raymond King bring another welcome familiarity to proceedings. Sadly, though, Simmons gets only a cameo role at the start of the film before his character meets an untimely demise. This sets the events of the film in motion, allowing Cynthia Addai-Robinson to step up to the plate more in this sequel. Marybeth doesn’t really care much for her role as Christian’s contact and despises Braxton’s methods and uncaring attitude about being a lethal killer. She does need them both, however, in an attempt to get to the bottom of the mystery and to keep herself alive after she is targeted for assassination.
Simmons’ brief time in the sequel does see some wonderful interplay with Daniella Pineda’s mysterious and deadly Anaïs. From the first time we see her, we think she is a throwaway character, one who will be two-dimensional and will die by the midway point. Nothing could be further from the truth. Instead of just being a throwaway character, we are shocked to discover she is what the entire film is all about. To say anymore about her would be a massive spoiler, which I cannot and will not divulge. But it is a plot twist that we don’t see coming. Throw in some emotional acting from the actress and some highly stylised fighting and action scenes, and we have a character that is deserving of her place in the film.
DIRECTION AND WRITING
Gavin O’Connor returns to direct the sequel, and it shows throughout. With the stylish way he directed the first film, it isn’t surprising that his flair returns once more. Hardly any shot is wasted, everything and everyone is framed expertly, and the visual tones he uses in his scenes stand out once again. He directs events and his cast brilliantly, drawing out performances that astound and astonish us.
Bill Dubuque also returns to write the script for the film, based on the characters he created. He, too, delivers a solid screenplay that has everything that the film needs, deserves and warrants to make it a success. He delivers characterisation that makes us believe that the people we see on the screen are real people we may bump into on the street. Although we don’t want to bump into most of them, the possibility is in the back of our minds during the film. With the cleverness of the mystery the film contains, the way it reveals itself and how it all pays off, Dubuque has excelled himself with his screenplay here.
VERDICT
With a dynamic partnership between Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal to anchor it, The Accountant 2 is a rare sequel that more than matches the original. And I do love the original. The film not only pays homage to the first film, bringing some of the characters back again for another go around, but it also does what the John Wick franchise does and opens the world up more and expands on it. We don’t need to retread over the same ground we covered previously. We forge a new path with familiar characters who open themselves up to us more than before. The film excels by bringing some family drama into things and adding more humour. It also leaves us with a sense of satisfaction when the credits finally roll.
There are a few niggling little things that drag the film down ever so slightly. But these are complaints that we can easily brush over and ignore. You can forgive such tiny details when you’ve got a film that is as fun, engaging and enjoyable as this. Could The Accountant return for a third outing? Considering a third film is currently being planned, and the franchise could be expanding further, again, like John Wick, there’s your answer. Would I submit myself to a third audit from The Accountant? You bet I would. Come for the fun, enjoy the comedy, marvel at the storyline, stay for Jon Bernthal. The columns all line up, and the figures are correct. The Accountant 2 is worth every penny.
The Accountant 2 will be in cinemas from Friday, April 25th.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
