My quick rating – 6.9/10. Nearly a decade after the original, The Accountant² picks up with Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) drawn out of his quiet, calculated life when a former associate turns up dead. In true sequel fashion, the stakes escalate quickly, and so does the body count. With the mystery deepening and bullets flying, Wolff enlists his estranged and ferociously efficient brother, Brax (Jon Bernthal), to help navigate a conspiracy that reaches into the darkest corners of human trafficking and institutional corruption.
One of the first things returning fans will notice is the shift in tone. While the first Accountant was notable for how it wove Wolff’s autism into the fabric of his character and the film’s narrative, this sequel puts less emphasis on that defining aspect. It instead pivots toward the brothers’ fractured relationship and shared violent expertise. The result? A more conventional but still compelling buddy-action flick where blood ties are just as important as bloodshed.
Bernthal, fresh off his intense role in Daredevil: Born Again, is easily the standout this time. Brax, with his brutal efficiency and chaotic energy, provides a perfect foil to Wolff’s meticulous and quiet demeanor. The two together offer some great chemistry, at times funny, at others poignant, and often brutally effective. Their dynamic is the emotional core of the movie, grounding even the more outlandish shootouts.
And yes, there are some wild shootouts. While visually gripping and slickly choreographed, they do sometimes stretch credibility, particularly when the brothers manage to stroll through a hail of bullets without a scratch. It’s one of those cinematic liberties that you’ll either roll with or roll your eyes at, depending on your tolerance for “star armor.”
Cynthia Addai-Robinson returns as Treasury Agent Marybeth Medina, partnering with the Wolff brothers as they try to unravel a conspiracy that connects a corporate shell game with missing children and international crime syndicates. Daniella Pineda is introduced as Anaïs, a morally gray wildcard who becomes a key piece in the story. Her brutal and emotionally charged fight with Medina is a surprising high point layered with dramatic tension, especially once the twist involving her true identity lands.
Unfortunately, while the heroes get plenty of time to shine and develop, the villains are sorely undercooked. Their motivations remain vague, and their personalities are nearly nonexistent. They’re little more than obstacles to be eliminated, which I saw as a missed opportunity in a film that otherwise tries to deepen its character work.
I thought the plot was perhaps the film’s biggest stumbling block. It tries to weave together too many threads—corporate fraud, child trafficking, family trauma, government secrets—and ends up leaving quite a few of them dangling by the time the credits roll. It doesn’t derail the film, but it does leave a lingering feeling that The Accountant² could have used a tighter focus or even a longer runtime to do justice to all its ideas.
Still, for fans of the first film or those who enjoy stylized action with a bit more heart, The Accountant² delivers. It doesn’t quite recapture the unique spark of its predecessor, but with strong performances (especially Bernthal and Pineda), solid action, and a few standout sequences, it earns its place as a worthy follow-up, albeit a bit messier. Here’s hoping the third time’s the charm for tightening the story while keeping that brutal brotherly bond front and center.
This one is an Amazon exclusive, or you can wait for other streamers to pick it up.
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