Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Gavin O'Connor
Cast: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, J.K. Simmons, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Daniella Pineda, Allison Robertson, Robert Morgan, Grant Whitney Harvey
Runtime: 2 hrs 12 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website: https://www.theaccountant2.com.sg

Opening Day: 24 April 2025

Synopsis: Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) 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 (Jon Bernthal), to help. In partnership with U.S. Treasury Deputy Director Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), they uncover a deadly conspiracy, becoming targets of a ruthless network of killers who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried.

Movie Review:

Almost a decade after we were introduced to Christian Wolff, Ben Affleck is back in the role of an autistic savant who works as an accountant to mobsters and terrorists; besides un-cooking their books, Christian also happens to have perfect marksmanship and brutal hand-to-hand combat skills. Christian also had a contract killer of a brother named Braxton, played by Jon Bernthal, who was like the id to Christian’s ego.

That is just about all you need to know from its 2016 predecessor – because while director Gavin O’ Connor and writer Bill Dubuque return for this sequel, both have decided that ‘The Accountant 2’ should be structurally and tonally different from the earlier movie. Most fundamentally, instead of placing the focus on Christian alone, the emphasis here is on Christian and Braxton, whose buddy chemistry anchors the movie from start to finish.

Now living off the grid in his Airstream, Christian comes back online when his old buddy, Ray King (J.K. Simmons), the retired head of the Treasury Department’s police force, is shot dead. To track down Ray’s killer, Christian reluctantly teams up with the Department’s new head, Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), while calling in his estranged brother Braxton for some extra muscle. Like we said, the movie belongs to Christian and Braxton, and Marybeth is no more than the audience’s foil, expressing the obligatory discomfort at the brothers’ methods.

We won’t go into the specifics of the story, which frankly gets too convoluted for its own good – suffice to say that it has to do with a family who had moved from El Salvador to Mexico and ended up being victims of a human trafficking ring, which is somehow also connected to the contract killer (Daniella Pineda) whom Ray had arranged to meet just before he was assassinated and whose paths will cross with both Christian and Marybeth,

The plotting is only there to give the film its structure, so that we get to enjoy Christian and Braxton razz each other on the roof of the Airstream, or indulge in some brotherly bonding in a honky-tonk bar complete with line-dancing, gentle flirting and fisticuffs. Both Affleck and Bernthal are fully committed to their respective parts, with Affleck leaning into his blockish, slightly inexpressive quality that has defined his acting, and Bernthal embracing his character’s bonhomie with infectious glee. Thanks to their chemistry, watching the pair of brothers work out their issues turns out being a breezy jaunt, and easily the most enjoyable element of the movie.

There is also quirky fun seeing Christian tap on his alma mater for support – notably, the Harbor Neuroscience Academy that provides a safe haven for similarly neurodivergent youths. Led by Justine (Allison Robertson), these kids prove themselves to be elite computer hackers, and a particular sequence where they hack into the cellphone of a passerby who happened to be taking a selfie while the aforementioned contract killer was walking behind is thrilling fun.

Truth be told, we had not expected Affleck to reprise his role as Christian, but we can now see why he has chosen not only to do so, but also to produce this very sequel through his Artists Equity banner with Matt Damon. Oh yes, ‘The Accountant’ is to Affleck what ‘Jason Bourne’ was to Damon, and if this is Affleck’s idea of franchise-building, as long as he brings Bernthal along for the ride, we don’t mind hanging out once again with this pair of bros bickering, bonding and bombarding their way through thick and thin.

Movie Rating:

(Anchored by the bromance between Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal, this somewhat unexpected sequel offers surprising warmth and levity amidst the gunfights and fistfights)

Review by Gabriel Chong

Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Gavin O'Connor
Cast: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, J.K. Simmons, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Daniella Pineda, Allison Robertson, Robert Morgan, Grant Whitney Harvey
Runtime: 2 hrs 12 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence and Coarse Language)
Released By: Warner Bros
Official Website: https://www.theaccountant2.com.sg

Opening Day: 24 April 2025

Synopsis: Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) 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 (Jon Bernthal), to help. In partnership with U.S. Treasury Deputy Director Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), they uncover a deadly conspiracy, becoming targets of a ruthless network of killers who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried.

Movie Review:

Almost a decade after we were introduced to Christian Wolff, Ben Affleck is back in the role of an autistic savant who works as an accountant to mobsters and terrorists; besides un-cooking their books, Christian also happens to have perfect marksmanship and brutal hand-to-hand combat skills. Christian also had a contract killer of a brother named Braxton, played by Jon Bernthal, who was like the id to Christian’s ego.

That is just about all you need to know from its 2016 predecessor – because while director Gavin O’ Connor and writer Bill Dubuque return for this sequel, both have decided that ‘The Accountant 2’ should be structurally and tonally different from the earlier movie. Most fundamentally, instead of placing the focus on Christian alone, the emphasis here is on Christian and Braxton, whose buddy chemistry anchors the movie from start to finish.

Now living off the grid in his Airstream, Christian comes back online when his old buddy, Ray King (J.K. Simmons), the retired head of the Treasury Department’s police force, is shot dead. To track down Ray’s killer, Christian reluctantly teams up with the Department’s new head, Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), while calling in his estranged brother Braxton for some extra muscle. Like we said, the movie belongs to Christian and Braxton, and Marybeth is no more than the audience’s foil, expressing the obligatory discomfort at the brothers’ methods.

We won’t go into the specifics of the story, which frankly gets too convoluted for its own good – suffice to say that it has to do with a family who had moved from El Salvador to Mexico and ended up being victims of a human trafficking ring, which is somehow also connected to the contract killer (Daniella Pineda) whom Ray had arranged to meet just before he was assassinated and whose paths will cross with both Christian and Marybeth,

The plotting is only there to give the film its structure, so that we get to enjoy Christian and Braxton razz each other on the roof of the Airstream, or indulge in some brotherly bonding in a honky-tonk bar complete with line-dancing, gentle flirting and fisticuffs. Both Affleck and Bernthal are fully committed to their respective parts, with Affleck leaning into his blockish, slightly inexpressive quality that has defined his acting, and Bernthal embracing his character’s bonhomie with infectious glee. Thanks to their chemistry, watching the pair of brothers work out their issues turns out being a breezy jaunt, and easily the most enjoyable element of the movie.

There is also quirky fun seeing Christian tap on his alma mater for support – notably, the Harbor Neuroscience Academy that provides a safe haven for similarly neurodivergent youths. Led by Justine (Allison Robertson), these kids prove themselves to be elite computer hackers, and a particular sequence where they hack into the cellphone of a passerby who happened to be taking a selfie while the aforementioned contract killer was walking behind is thrilling fun.

Truth be told, we had not expected Affleck to reprise his role as Christian, but we can now see why he has chosen not only to do so, but also to produce this very sequel through his Artists Equity banner with Matt Damon. Oh yes, ‘The Accountant’ is to Affleck what ‘Jason Bourne’ was to Damon, and if this is Affleck’s idea of franchise-building, as long as he brings Bernthal along for the ride, we don’t mind hanging out once again with this pair of bros bickering, bonding and bombarding their way through thick and thin.

Movie Rating:

(Anchored by the bromance between Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal, this somewhat unexpected sequel offers surprising warmth and levity amidst the gunfights and fistfights)

Review by Gabriel Chong