THE ACCOUNTANT 2
Starring: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Daniella Pineda, Allison Robertson, Robert Morgan, Grant Harvey, Andrew Howard, and J.K. Simmons
Director: Gavin O’Connor
QUENTIN
While The Accountant 2 might be one of the most unexpected, never-asked-for sequels to come along in recent memory, I can’t deny that it’s a fun time at the movies. Sure, the story is messy and convoluted, but I’d watch Ben Affleck and (especially) Jon Bernthal’s Rain Man Assassin schtick for 10 more movies. Their chemistry is 90 percent of the reason this movie works, with the extra 10 percent going to director Gavin O’Connor for the explosive action beats and writer Bill Dubuque for the surprising amount of hilarity. I’m not sure if it’s “better” than the first one, but it’s certainly more entertaining.
ADRIANO
Confession time: I don't understand the infatuation with The Accountant. It never engaged me, nor did I find it very fun. So with The Accountant 2, there is a surprising improvement, in that I found it to be a very fun mess. The movie takes itself much less seriously, which makes way for genuine enjoyment. Jon Bernthal's amazing performance also helps. Unfortunately, it couldn't pick a tone to save its life, never finding a proper balance between familial drama and wacky comedy, plus pretty irresponsible portrayals of human trafficking. It's still not very good, but it's more entertaining, I suppose.
BODE
I didn’t think much of The Accountant, but given how successful it was, I wasn’t totally surprised we got a sequel. I’m more surprised that The Accountant 2 is better than it really should be. Despite its uneven tonal shifts, the tastelessness of its human trafficking subplot, and doubling-down on its Hollywood treatment of autism, it all manages to go down easy since it doesn’t take itself seriously, the action is clean, there’s charm in Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal’s back-and-forth, and there’s refreshing empathy for those with ASD. It’s a mess, but a decently entertaining one.
