At this year’s South by Southwest festival, movie enthusiasts are being given an early peek at a number of highly-anticipated films set for release in 2025, one of which is Ben Affleck’s next project – The Accountant 2. This upcoming action film is the sequel to the 2016 movie that revolves around Affleck’s character Christian, an autistic accountant. Matt Damon attended the Texas premiere of this film to support his long-time friend, but what do audiences think?
Alongside Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal joins the cast as Christian’s troubled sibling Braxton. Cynthia Addai-Robinson and J. K. Simmons return from the original film, although it appears a significant character meets their end in this sequel. According to Ryan Scott of SlashFilm, who rated the movie 8 out of 10, The Accountant 2 is humorously enhanced compared to its predecessor but maintains an emotional core. Essentially, it surpasses its forerunner in all aspects, Scott claims, expressing that it further develops Affleck’s character.
At times, does it seem unbelievably exaggerated? However, when has cinema needed to mirror real life? Frequently, escaping the monotony of reality provides a refreshing change. I can assure you that those who appreciated The Accountant will find this sequel equally enjoyable. It’s not common for sequels to surpass their originals, but [director Gavin O’Connor] accomplishes this feat here. This is nothing short of top-notch popcorn entertainment, skillfully delivered. To put it another way: If they produce three more Accountant films, I will watch all three without hesitation. In fact, I genuinely hope they do.
Nate Richard from Collider offers the film an 8 out of 10 rating, commending the strong chemistry between Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal and the thrilling action sequences that surpass any found in “The Accountant”. Regarding Affleck’s depiction of a character on the autism spectrum, Richard points out that the sequel strives to accurately portray neurodiversity without resorting to stereotypes. In his opinion:
In the latest portrayal, Affleck delves deeper into the character of Christian than ever before, revealing layers that were previously unseen. He’s not just an intellectual powerhouse, but one who grapples with interpersonal relationships, a complexity beautifully captured by the film. The movie steers clear of over-reliance on negative stereotypes and instead offers a balanced portrayal of characters on the spectrum. Allison Robertson’s character, Justine, is a prime example of this. She’s exceptionally talented, yet the narrative never reduces her to a mere stereotype, but rather presents her as a fully-fledged human being with all her complexities and struggles.
According to Lovia Gyarkye of THR, it’s the actors’ depiction of the brothers in “The Accountant 2” that contributes significantly to its success. Notably, fans of the initial film are expected to be eagerly supporting this pair of siblings. Gyarkye further adds:
In simpler terms, “The Accountant 2” maintains the standard of sequels without having a clear objective. Director Gavin O’Connor once again collaborates with screenwriter Bill Dubuque to broaden the eccentric world of Christian, involving money laundering and hitmen. Unlike its predecessor, which tried earnestly yet awkwardly to delve into the life of an autistic man, “The Accountant 2” emphasizes the bond between Christian and his brother Brax, characters that viewers have grown fond of. Essentially, it’s a comedy centering on brothers disguised as a complex (and perhaps overly complicated), suspenseful thriller.
According to Brian Tallerico from RogerEbert.com, the movie didn’t quite live up to expectations for him overall, earning a rating of 2 out of 4 stars. Tallerico acknowledges that the portrayal of Christian’s bond with his brother Brax is where The Accountant 2 shines brightest. However, in Tallerico’s view, director Gavin O’Connor didn’t invest as much energy into making the remainder of the storyline compelling. In simpler terms, Tallerico feels that while the movie excels in depicting Christian’s relationship with Brax, it could have done more to engage us emotionally with the rest of the narrative.
In my perspective, The Accountant 2 struggles to gather pace, and I believe this could be due to O’Connor favoring the brotherly banter over the intense action of human trafficking. He seems to grapple with finding a balance between these two contrasting genres throughout the film.
The storyline about the two distinct brothers trying to overcome their personality differences is quite engaging, but other aspects seem rather contrived and implausible. The attempt at combining these elements appears to be a challenge that even The Accountant character finds hard to unravel.
Christian Zilko from IndieWire assigns a grade of C+ to the movie, commenting that it’s unclear why this sequel was made nine years later. However, he notes an improvement as Jon Bernthal is given a larger role in comparison to the original. According to Zilko, The Accountant 2 delivers more humor and emotion, ultimately summarizing his review by saying:
Christian Zilko’s review suggests that the sequel lacked a clear reason for existence but improved upon the first film by providing Jon Bernthal with a larger role. The movie is noted to offer increased laughter and emotion, as concluded by Zilko.
One aspect where The Accountant 2 deserves recognition is its recognition that having an autistic character portrayed by Ben Affleck isn’t enough to sustain an action movie on its own. While Christian Wolff may be one of Affleck’s stronger acting performances in recent times, he functions better as a counterpart rather than the main lead. Jon Bernthal brings a charismatic touch to evenly distribute the film’s weight, making Affleck’s accountant appear more relatable and capable. With both characters sharing screen time, their humorous exchanges feel more like friendly banter than offensive portrayals of a disabled individual.
There’s still some time before “The Accountant 2” premieres in cinemas on April 25th. If you’d like to refresh your memory of the first movie, you can stream it through a Max subscription or Amazon Prime Video.
If you appreciated the characters from the initial film, early reviews suggest that you’ll find the sequel satisfying. Keep an eye on Ben Affleck’s upcoming projects in the meantime.
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2025-03-10 23:09