The Accountant is a 2016 film from director Gavin O’Connor. The film stars Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Tambor, and John Lithgow. As a math savant uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities and the body count start to rise.

This film means more to me than it should. While it has gained a cult following since its release, this means something deeper to me. While it is great, it’s far from perfect. It has it flaws. Where this meant so much to me is what it meant when it came out. To this day, 2016 was the most challenging year of my life, and that’s also taking 2020 in account. The trailer for this alone ignited my love for film when things weren’t always that great. I recall seeing this with my dad. Between that core memory and seeing this dark story with interesting characters unfold, it’s been a favorite ever since.

Remember when trailers could be good without spoiling anything? This felt one of the last movie trailers that could sell anyone without having to spoil a thing. What intrigued me the most was how it was going to handle mental health. The film does a great job at capturing the mentality of the main character, Christian Wolff, played by Ben Affleck. What he goes through from a young age to deal with his autism makes the film interesting from the start. I am not one for flashbacks, but the flashbacks are meaningful and help deepen who this character is.

The film also boasts an all-star cast where you are amazed by who comes on screen next. I mean, who can assemble such a phenomenal cast for an original film like this? It’s impressive. Director Gavin O’Connor does a great job at bringing the characters in at the right time to help drive purpose and mystery. Through all of the dark & gloom of these characters are, I love how Anna Kendrick shines in her role as someone who helps Wolff see a softer side of himself. It helps bring more emotion to someone who rarely presents it. Sometimes large ensembles can be tough to juggle, but I find every single one adding value to the plot.

Something I have been seeing a lot lately about the way others view the film is the lack of action. It’s certainly more of a thriller than anything else. The action never overstays its welcome and helps drive where the story is going. It’s not ever trying to force itself to have an action scene. The Indonesian martial art that is used give Affleck the opportunity to do something new. Even if and where a stunt double may be involved, it’s still impressive nonetheless.

The dark nature of this story may not be for everyone. The film has received a mixed reception that I will get into more soon. Based on what I can gather, it seems like its sequel will not be the case as it will choose to take a lighter tone. I honestly didn’t mind it here at all. It’s what makes the film compelling is how it shows how someone was manipulated from a young age and how he continues to deal with that as well as being on the spectrum.

Believe it or not, I did not know the film got criticism for its portrayal of autism. I don’t think the film intentionally tries to portray it in the wrong light. While it is a thriller, adding this component to the main character sheds more light on individuals on the spectrum. Sure, the lead actor at the forefront is, indeed, not autistic. As someone who is a big advocate for shedding more light on mental health, I appreciate how we can get that through an action thriller like this.

My biggest issue with the film, however, is with the exposition, which is the weakest part. I don’t like forced exposition. Never have, never will. The amount of times characters have to explain something to someone in an unrealistic fashion to force feed information to the audience is ridiculous. The performances make up for it though as they are able to sell it. I did like the flashbacks to Wolff’s upbringing. Everything else could have used a more straightforward narrative to help avoid all the exposition.

Overall, The Accountant is a timeless classic and will continue to be one. The way it speaks on mental health through an action thriller adds value to the characters on top of an already interesting story. We’ll see how the sequel plays out. Even though I am excited for it, I am not crazy about the trailer at all. No matter what, this film shows that we need more original stories like this going forward.

VERDICT: 4/5 (Great)