The Accountant

Amongst some of 2016's lacklustre films, I can't say that I had high expectations for The Accountant that seemed to have came out of nowhere but somehow Ben Affleck found time for this thriller between Batman and Suicide Squad. The premise sees him star as a brilliant whizz when it comes to numbers and he puts these skills to use working as a, you guessed it, accountant. However, the Treasury Department soon start to close in on him revealing a much darker side to this unassuming individual.

It had me intrigued and following a friend's recommendation I was admittedly able to catch this on a plane which isn't always the best place to see a film but Gavin O'Connor's direction and Affleck's dedicated performance took me by surprise. Without giving much away, this can be summarised as an action film but somehow that cheapens everything else.

The Accountant still isn't a perfect film and there is a rather jumbled/miss-handled message about autism that finds itself uncomfortably placed after a rather brutal action sequence. There are also a couple of weak plot points and the investigation side is as far away from original as you can get. However, when The Accountant does work it is a lot of fun and boasts very strong performances, particularly from Affleck and Jon Bernthal.

With a little more focus this could have been a real standout from 2016 but even then The Accountant is entertaining enough to recommend for fans of the genre. The pacing takes its time and there are moments which do not conclude in the most satisfying way possible but there's no denying the final act is still a blast to watch. I'm not sure how likely it is but maybe this is one film where a sequel wouldn't hurt as there is potential for more.