With Ben Affleck and J.K. Simmons at the centre of a unique premise, The Accountant is a film that could’ve been one of the great action-thrillers of the year.
Instead, it falls victim to poor pacing and overcrowding, leaving it a middle-of-the-road, overlong thriller.
Ben Affleck is the man you have to thank for almost single-handedly saving The Accountant from bargain-bin status. His performance as an autistic accountant by day and ruthless assassin by night is full of nuance, intimidation and, surprisingly, humour.
J.K. Simmons does well as a Treasury Department Crime Officer on his last legs, while Anna Kendrick is charmingly quirky as always.
Unfortunately, by the time its third-act shootout draws to a close, there’s an inescapable sense that you’ve seen this all before. Director Gavin O’Connor presents the action onscreen with aplomb, but could’ve easily left out 15-20 minutes of its two-hour-and-eight-minute runtime.
If you’re looking for a film that’s entertaining in spurts, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and capitalises on Ben Affleck’s great run of late, The Accountant is for you. If you want something more than a run-of-the-mill action-thriller, give this one a miss.
Verdict – 6/10
The Accountant hits Australian cinemas on November 3rd, and is rated MA15+ for ‘Strong violence’
Directed by: Gavin O’Connor (‘Warrior’, ‘Brothers’)
Stars: Ben Affleck, J.K. Simmons, Anna Kendrick, Cynthia Addai-Robinson
Be First to Comment