What to Watch This Weekend – The Accountant 2

The Accountant 2 is a story about the people who defend the weak when no one else can. Set several years after the events of The Accountant, retired FinCEN director Ray King (J.K. Simmons) follows a lead. He believes that a human trafficking ring operates locally and is responsible for several travesties. In particular, he is looking for a specific child separated from their parents. He seeks the help of a mysterious tracker named Anaïs (Daniella Pineda) to find the kid and hopefully expose the activity. Upon meeting Anaïs, brute forces attack King. He sends out a distress call to The Accountant, who connects with King’s protégé Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson). Together, and with the help of The Accountant’s estranged brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal), they work to bring down the criminal organization.  

What works in The Accountant 2 is the action and the chemistry. Affleck and Bernthal are fantastic as lethal siblings. One is socially awkward; the other is stuck at age 13. They bicker, they love, and they kill. It’s endlessly charming and the two charismatic leads milk it for every single drop. Thrills fill the spaces between the banter. Director Gavin O’Connor (The Accountant, Warrior) proves masterful at executing on well-choreographed combat. He takes full advantage of having two believable superheroes working in tandem and leans into the ridiculousness of the situations they willingly enter. The battles in Accountant 2 resemble a video game in the most positive way as Affleck and Bernthal mow down waves of enemies who can’t aim worth a damn. The whole affair is meant to be playful, and it is.  

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People who don’t enjoy gratuitous violence without consequence may want to avoid The Accountant 2. While it never goes super gory, there’s murder aplenty. Furthermore, kids are occasionally in peril. As the film deals human trafficking, younger people are part of the equation, and their inclusion may be disturbing. Finally, The Accountant 2 is a little confusing and a lot absurd. The actual plot is twisty in ways that may feel unnecessary and convoluted. On top of that, The Accountant 2 has a “secret weapon” to aid the protagonists that is thematically appropriate but often feels like a cheat code. Whenever the heroes get into a jam, they have magic at their disposal that could be construed as too convenient.

The Accountant 2 is a fun ride. It unapologetically harkens back to the action genre of the 80s and 90s with unstoppable human wrecking crews. With the right combination of comedy and explosiveness, this is bound to satisfy fans.  

Recommended if you enjoyed: The Beekeeper, The Equalizer, The Expendables

The Accountant 2 is now available on Amazon Prime for rent or purchase on most digital platforms.

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