The Accountant

Directed by: Gavin O’Connor
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures

Written by Alexander Reams

92/100

Simplicity is the antithesis to O’Connor’s 128-minute thriller. It begins with a scene that we will return to multiple times throughout the film: a voice yells, “I gotta call it in”, a man runs into a building with gunshots and cries out. The sound design put into the opening scene is precisely done to allow for reveals later in the film, while it also quickly throws the viewer into the action. Soon we are thrown into the life of “Christian Wolff” (his real name is never revealed), a man with a form of autism that allows him to solve puzzles, and eventually complex math problems extremely fast. This skill leads him to apply his services to those in less-than-legal standing while making obscene amounts of money. His lifestyle however, is frugal; he has a routine, and he doesn’t break from it. 

If this is at all sounding familiar, you’re not wrong! But of course, the man with a routine that he never breaks from will be forced to break from it. That comes in the form of a client, Living Robotics. Dana (Anna Kendrick) discovers a leak in the company’s money stream, so they bring in Wolff, who is looking for a legitimate client for once, to uncook their books. Soon after Wolff begins, bodies drop, first the company’s CFO, then Rita Blackburn (Jean Smart, who gets only one line to show her talents) dies. Both are close to CEO Lamar Blackburn (John Lithgow), so he quickly dismisses Wolff from his task, something Wolff cannot understand, or do. Soon, Dana is targeted by the same killers, and Wolff disregards his routine to save her.  

As Wolff’s life is thrown into disarray, Lamar hires security contractor/hitman Braxton (Jon Bernthal) to protect him and stop Wolff from snooping anymore. For most of the film, Bernthal’s character is not named, and it’s intentional as the big reveal of the film is that they are brothers, they grew up together (as seen in flashbacks), and it’s clearly telegraphed. However, the chemistry between the two is undeniable, and that makes a lot of the more tried and true tropes that the film often leans on easier to go with. 

O’Connor knows exactly the film he is making, he wants the audience to pay attention, to the decisions Wolff makes, to how Braxton intimidates or interrogates someone, to the way cinematographer Seamus McGarvey uses handheld and steadicam movements to show when Wolff is in control of the situation and when he isn’t. And especially to communicate a fight sequence to the audience, specifically the farmhouse fight. Wolff uses his belt while his attacker chooses a knife, and Wolff easily outfights him. The choreography evokes the “John Wick” style made popular 2 years before this film’s release, while also being distinct to this character, instead of the regular copy/paste. 

All of this comes together to form what I consider to be O’Connor’s most accomplished film yet, he presents a series of characters that form an impressive ensemble, Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, John Lithgow, Jean Smart, Jeffery Tambor, and Cyntha Addai-Robinson, whose role is much larger than advertised but holds her own with J.K. Simmons. O’Connor uses this ensemble to enhance a rather straightforward screenplay into an action thriller that has maintained a position in modern cinemagoers minds, as proven by its sequel being released later this week. The film itself has stuck in my mind, is on my Letterboxd logs at least once a year, and a damn great time at the movies.

“The Accountant” Trailer

You can connect with Alexander and see more of his work on his website: http://alexanderwreams.com/