There are times you watch a movie and go, “I really hope this does well because I want to see these characters again.” It’s a slippery slope, as sometimes sequels can end up being a shell of what you loved about the original and you’re left disappointed. I’m a big fan of origin films, which are often – but not always – the first in a series. The origin film has the benefit of building a world that the characters grow in and we, as the viewers, get to learn about how they became the people that they are. Sequels, on the other hand, usually find themselves jumping right into the action. The world has been built, the characters introduced, and now the task is to attempt to further build out this world, while bringing something new to the table – but also keeping things familiar enough that you don’t alienate the audience and not deliver on what they came to see.
It’s a whole thing, and at the same time it’s a case-by-case basis. Sometimes the sequel actually builds out the world because the original, which was possibly more streamlined in its story, was such a success. This gives the sequel the chance to allow things to grow out, but again, change too much and you risk turning off audiences, but also keep things too similar and why even make the movie in the first place? I could do a deeper dive on all of this but right now we’re here to talk about The Accountant 2, which is the sequel to 2016’s The Accountant, starring Ben Affleck.
I really enjoyed The Accountant. It was an incredibly fun action flick with an interesting protagonist who has a unique skillset, a well-paced intriguing story that found a perfect balance of action, drama and humour and the cherry on top being action sequences that didn’t hold back when it came to letting blood fly. When it was done I said, “I really hope this does well because I want to see these characters again.” Okay, I’m not sure if I said it exactly like that, but you get the idea. A year later Affleck announced that a sequel was in development with director Gavin O’Connor and writer Bill Dubuque set to return, but years went by and nothing but bits here and there about how it was still in development. Flash forward to 2024 and filming finally began with a 2025 release date, and just like that, The Accountant 2 arrived. But was it worth the wait?
In short: yes. The Accountant 2 is exactly what I wanted from a sequel to the original, with the action being ramped up, Jon Bernthal returning as Christian Wolff’s (Affleck) brother, Brax, the same strong balance of comedy, family drama and action, as well as an intriguing story with much higher stakes that requires Christian’s unique set of skills to help solve it. Also returning are J.K. Simmons, as Raymond King, former deputy director of the Treasury Department’s FinCEN, as well as Cynthia Addai-Robinson, reprising her role as Marybeth Medina, King’s successor to the role of deputy director of FinCEN. Also returning as the computerized voice of Justine, Christian’s friend and partner in crime, is Alison Wright. However, Wright was recast on-screen by Allison Robertson, who is actually on the spectrum and was brought on to represent those on the spectrum.
It’s been over eight years since the original film was released and that time is not lost on the characters in the film, as Christian reaches out to Braxton to help him with the case he’s working on and Braxton initially scoffs, saying it’s been eight years since they crossed paths (at the end of the first film) and he hasn’t heard from him since. So it’s not as though the brothers have been chummy all this time, nor are we picking up a year later with everyone simply looking almost a decade older, no, we’re calling it like it is, with Christian simply being Christian and letting time go by without realizing it may have hurt someone emotionally.
It’s all handled really well and it allows for us to get to see Christian and Braxton work on their relationship throughout the two-hour runtime – you know, while they’re beating up pimps and gunning down kidnappers. So, the time jump actually works to the film’s advantage, or at least them embracing it allows for Dubuque to write the story in a way that builds on the relationship like he would have if the sequel had been made right after the first film. It may actually work more to his advantage, as Braxton being ghosted by Christian once again leads to a great exchange between the two, and Affleck and Bernthal really capture the sibling dynamic, with the characters feeling like they never really grew up, again, outside of them being take-no-prisoner assassins.
New to the cast is Daniella Pineda (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Cowboy Bebop), who plays Anaïs, an assassin who King brings into the mix and is a big piece of the puzzle that Christian is trying to solve. Pineda is fantastic in the role and becomes that character that you wish you got to see more of, but also understand why she’s used in limited amounts for story purposes. That said, can we get Pineda into her own kick-ass action flick sometime in the not-so-distant future please?
I didn’t dive into the story itself as all you need to know is that it delivers as far as sequels go. It ups the ante across the board and instead of the singular focus of the first film, we’ve got a much broader paint brush of bad guys to deal with this time. Saying more about it is doable, but it’s just more fun to experience the puzzle being put together by Christian firsthand. In other good news, both Affleck and O’Connor have confirmed that a third Accountant film is in development, with both viewing the series as a trilogy. With both The Accountant and The Accountant 2 delivering the goods, here’s hoping the third (and final?) installment continues the trend – with the exception of another eight years passing before it sees the light of day, of course.
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
The 2160p/HDR10/Dolby Vision transfer delivers a top tier viewing experience for fans to enjoy. The natural look of the world shines through beautifully, with night scenes looking clean and clear, with no crushed blacks or hard to see details. Speaking of, the details pop beautifully on all fronts, with the action scenes coming to life, the kill shots having as close to a real impact as I’d expect possible without feeling over-the-top, and everything just coming together harmoniously, even with scenes and locations changing rather drastically in terms of visuals. One moment we’re in a drab motel room, the next, a rowdy country bar, yet it all has a similar feel that helps keep things moving forward seamlessly.
On the audio side of things we’ve once again got Warner Bros. delivering a superb Dolby Atmos mix. There’s a lot of dialogue and dramatic scenes over the course of the film, though the mix still shines through nicely with the score and ambient sounds. Things really kick into gear with the action sequences, which are the scenes that really allow the surround sound to shine if you’ve got it. As a whole, both the audio and video transfers have once again delivered, as Warner Bros. continues to knock it out of the park with recent releases.
Special Features:
Sadly, this part of the release is barren. It would’ve been fantastic to have heard from everyone involved as to what it was like to return with the same crew all these years later. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t meant to be, so fans will have to look for interviews online if they want to hear about anything more.
Disclaimer: A review copy of this Blu-ray was sent to me to cover in honest and truthful fashion.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents The Accountant 2. Directed by: Gavin O’Connor. Written by: Bill Dubuque. Starring: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Daniella Pineda, Allison Robertson, J.K. Simmons, Alison Wright. Running time: 132 Minutes. Rating: R. Released on 4K Blu-ray: Aug. 12, 2025.
About Brendan Campbell
