The Reel Review
A cryptic message from her recently murdered boss prompts a federal agent to team up with an autistic former mob accountant turned informant and his hired assassin brother to find out who killed him. Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal and Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Colombiana) reprise their roles in this crime dramedy sequel to 2016’s The Accountant.
All serious nuance from the first film is gone, as this sequel leans heavily into the comedy and fun onscreen chemistry between Affleck as the brainy but socially awkward math savant and Bernthal as his f-bomb dropping, hitman brother. The scenes where they riff off one another and where Affleck’s character attempts speed dating and some hysterically awkward country line dancing are highlights, despite sometimes sliding into cringey “isn’t autism hilarious?!” tropes.
Attempts to blend that comedy with an even more preposterous crime story than the first film is where this sequel falls a bit short. Despite some distractingly good action sequences, it’s hard to be invested in the story when so much of it is convoluted or just doesn’t make sense. Still, it’s a fun time as long as you don’t think about the sloppy writing and just enjoy the ride.
REEL FACTS
• Anna Kendrick is the only main cast member from the original film who didn’t return for the sequel.
• Allison Robertson replaced Alison Wright as the cyberhacker Justine, but Wright still provides the computer-generated voice of the mute character.
• Ben Affleck has won two Oscars – one with Matt Damon for Best Original Screenplay for 1997’s Good Will Hunting and one for Best Picture for the 2012 thriller Argo. Affleck and second wife Jennifer Lopez divorced in February 2025 after more than two years of marriage.
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