Movie Review | The Accountant 2

‘The Accountant 2 (Photo – Amazon MGM Studios)

Musclebound and tongue-tied, the socially inept main character, Christian Wolff, as played by Ben Affleck in The Accountant 2 comes off at times as something like the last action hero.

The Accountant 2
Directed by Gavin O’Connor – 2025
Reviewed by Garrett Rowlan

Action in this two-hour thriller is plentiful and follows the usual formula—loud, impressive weaponry, less impressive aim of the bad guys, and death always reserved for those unworthy of the audience’s sympathy—from the opening shootout in a bingo parlor to the ending bang-bang in the Mexican desert. Yet as I watched I thought of the contrast between Affleck’s often affectless persona and the action heroes of yesteryear.

Whether the sophisticated James Bond of Sean Connery, or, later, guru-like James Coburn (Our Man Flint) or Dean Martin’s swank Matt Helm, hell, even Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne seems positively verbose compared to Affleck’s character. About the closest thing to Christian is Schwarzenegger’s Terminator combined with Dustin Hoffman’s autistic character in Rain Man.

To humanize him, somewhat, his brother, as played by Jon Bernthal (an actor reminiscent of Fred Ward) engages him, tries to connect with his remote sibling. The brother, Braxton, is a hired killer too, though without Christian’s knowledge of deductions on a 1040 form. Together they kill, twist limbs for information, and otherwise commit righteous mayhem in the greater Los Angeles area, where Christian lives in an Airstream like a tool kept in storage until his special skill set is needed.

Christian’s less human than human persona and the film’s reliance on technology to solve the mystery of a CIA-like boss’s murder—including a cadre of kids employed in computer hacking (whether for pay or academic extra credit isn’t stated)—suggests that Affleck’s Christian might be a prototype for some half Robocop, half idiot savant modeled for the Cyborg heroes of a future film genre.

An entertaining, sometimes amusing, but otherwise disposable offering.

Playing at Regal Paseo, Landmark Pasadena Playhouse, IPIC Theaters, Regency Academy Cinemas, Regal Edwards Alhambra Renaissance, AMC Atlantic Times Square 14, and AMC Santa Anita 16.