‘The Accountant 2’ Review: Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal Deliver Brutal Brotherhood

Ben Affleck returns as Christian Wolff, the gun-slinging C.P.A. with a knack for numbers and a taste for vigilante justice in The Accountant 2, a slick and violent sequel to the 2016 cult favourite. Directed once again by Gavin O’Connor and written by Bill Dubuque, the film doubles down on everything fans loved about the original—blood-splattered action, tangled moral codes, and the unlikely charm of an autistic antihero navigating chaos with mathematical precision.

Plot? Kind of. Violence? Absolutely.

The sequel picks up eight years after the events of the first film, finding Ben Affleck’s Christian embroiled in another web of crime, conspiracy, and cold-blooded shootouts. The film wastes no time reintroducing key characters like J.K. Simmons’ Ray King, who enters with a cap and exits with a bullet, and Cynthia Addai-Robinson’s Marybeth Medina, who keeps the plot marginally grounded. Ben Affleck’s Christian Wolff’s brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal) returns with explosive energy, helping drive a story filled with trafficked women, child hostages, and more than a few implausible twists.

But The Accountant 2 isn’t too concerned with making logical sense. Its fundamental goal is to entertain with brutal efficiency, and it succeeds. The action is relentless, and the humour surprisingly sharp, especially during a standout barroom brawl that begins with line dancing and ends with fists flying. It’s absurd, thrilling, and wholly aware of its excesses.

The Brotherhood at the Centre

What elevates this sequel from a generic action flick is the chemistry between Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal. The two actors play off each other like battle-hardened brothers who understand that violence is their only means of communication. In quieter moments, they share an understated warmth, like in a scene where they sit back-to-back, talking like old friends before painting the world red.

Director Gavin O’Connor takes time to explore this relationship, including scenes that veer away from the plot to deepen their bond. In one memorable moment, Ben Affleck’s character awkwardly attempts line dancing after calculating the rhythm mathematically. It’s a scene that shows both his social disconnect and his desire for connection—an oddly touching interlude in a film that otherwise thrives on carnage.

Violence and Vigilantism, American-Style

As with many modern action films, The Accountant 2 leans into the trope of the morally murky avenger. Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) and Braxton (Jon Bernthal) may be killers, but the bad guys are always worse. The film doesn’t shy away from glorifying violence—it revels in it. But beneath the gunplay and chaos, there’s a commentary, however faint, about masculinity, justice, and the American obsession with order through force.

The Accountant 2 is gleefully over-the-top, fast-paced, and surprisingly funny. Its logic might be shaky, but its entertainment value is not. With Ben Affleck’s quietly intense performance and Jon Bernthal’s charisma cranked to 11, this sequel proves that sometimes, revenge does add up.