The Accountant
Warner Bros. Pictures
Directed by: Gavin O’Connor
Produced by: Lynette Howell Taylor and Mark Williams
Written by: Bill Dubuque
Starring: Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J. K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Tambor, and John Lithgow
Ben Affleck stars as Christian Wolff, a math genius, who uncooks the books for some dangerous clients. After being hired for a job, things start to take a turn for the worse. In this quick, spoiler-free review, I’ll give you the good, bad, and the reason for this film. If you haven’t already, check out the trailer below to see what the film is all about.
The Good
From beginning to end, it is very nice to see the level of awareness and care this film takes to subtly educate the audience about autism. There are many instances where the actions we may usually deem as weird or strange are instead redirected to being viewed as simply different. Affleck’s character is rather unique, and it is interesting for a lead character to have autism. It makes his training and execution of skills and smarts that much more intriguing to see. His skills will most definitely challenge many preconceived notions or views some may have about autism as well.
Speaking of Affleck, he shows that he can handle action films with no problem. His fighting style is reminiscent of a combination of Jason Bourne and John Wick. He is quick, efficient, and lethal. The action scenes are nothing short of intense and suspenseful. Beyond that, his obsessive and compulsive behaviors are definitely a drawing appeal. You can’t help but to be curious about his repetitive mannerisms.
More specifically, his social interactions are the most interesting. At times, his encounters with others can even be a bit humorous. His awkwardness and reactions with Anna Kendrick (who plays Dana Cummings) lighten the mood a bit in the midst of some thrilling scenes.
For my fellow comic book movie fans out there, we all know that Affleck is connected with the DC Universe. There are a number of parallels and connections in the film that relate to some cool Easter Eggs. (If you’re interested, I wrote an article about the Easter Eggs and comic references here.)
The Bad
There are a few twists in the movie that aren’t all too hard to figure out. A lot of the plot is pretty predictable once you get about 30 percent into the film. It’s not the end of the world, but you get the sense that the movie banks on some of the big reveals. If you’re not paying attention then they may surprise you.
The Reason
As one of my colleagues said, “The Accountant was everything that Jason Bourne should’ve been.” I’d probably say that this film is a mash-up of Rain Man and The Bourne Identity.
The film gives you a little bit of everything, while still feeling well-balanced. I enjoyed how The Accountant felt new but familiar at the same time. One thing is for sure, I wouldn’t mind if they made more movies like this. It’s certainly worth the watch in theaters, so don’t even give it a second thought. Go see it soon.