The Accountant
By Jeffrey Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Heavy violence, language in tale of killer with autism.
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The Accountant
Community Reviews
Based on 8 parent reviews
Finally, A Badass Hero on the Autism Spectrum. It's About Damn Time!
An educational and entertaining portrayal of autism
What's the Story?
Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck), who has a high-functioning form of autism, is a math whiz who works as a humble accountant. Occasionally, he takes side jobs smoothing out the books for shady corporations. He was raised in a military family, and his father made sure he was trained to fight and shoot so he could defend himself against those who might call him "different." When Wolff's latest job puts the life of a mid-level employee (Anna Kendrick) in danger, he springs into action. Meanwhile, the head of the Treasury Department (J.K. Simmons) has recruited a new agent (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) to discover Wolff's true identity.
Is It Any Good?
The movie's main storyline of an accountant/hit man with autism is somewhat ordinary and predictable, but its fabric is made up of enough good scenes and characters to make it worthwhile. Working from a screenplay by Bill Dubuque (The Judge), director Gavin O'Connor builds worlds for all of his characters to inhabit. It's not a coincidence that the cast includes terrific performers and great character actors; they all bite into these roles with juicy histories.
Wolff in particular comes with all kinds of props, routines, and traits that are endlessly fascinating. He requires a minimalist performance that Affleck handles well. After his many ups and downs in the movie business, the star finally looks like he's lived a life. But The Accountant doesn't short any of the other characters, either; they each get several moments to come alive. It's too bad the overall plot couldn't have come up with something a tad fresher, but at least it gets the job done.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Accountant's violence. How intense is it? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
How does the movie portray autism? How does that compare to the way you've seen it portrayed in other movies and TV shows? What message does that send?
Are there consequences for the main character's many killings? Why does that matter?
What's the appeal of movies about professional killers/hit men? How is The Accountant similar to or different from others in the genre?
Movie Details
- In theaters: October 14, 2016
- On DVD or streaming: January 10, 2017
- Cast: Ben Affleck , Anna Kendrick , J.K. Simmons
- Director: Gavin O'Connor
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Warner Bros.
- Genre: Drama
- Run time: 128 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: strong violence and language throughout
- Last updated: November 1, 2023
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