2025 has boasted some long-awaited sequels, andThe Accountant 2was one of them.The movie was a follow-up to Gavin O’Connor’s 2016 filmthat focused on a math savant named Christian Wolff who makes a career out of being a freelance accountant for dangerous organizations. This proves increasingly dangerous for the protagonist, which leads to a thrilling journey packed with action and conspiracy elements.The Accountant 2seesBen Affleckand Jon Bernthal return to their roles, with a supporting cast that includes J.K. Simmons, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, and Robert Morgan.
The fraternal bond between Christian and Braxton really drives the sequel’s story forward.Affleck and Bernthal have an even more dynamic chemistrythat provides levity even when there are some intense action sequences. WithThe Accountant 2now on streaming, both actors also bring an impressive slate of films behind them that are worth checking out.
The Amateur
Cast
The Amateur follows a brilliant yet introverted CIA decoder whose life is upended when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. Defying his supervisors' inaction, he embarks on a personal mission to seek justice.
The Accountant 2is not the only action movie that Bernthal will be a part of in 2025. TheRami Malek-ledthrillerThe Amateurwas another action-packed movie that arrived early in the year. This film sawMalek play a CIA cryptographer who has just lost his wife in a terrorist attackand decides to take matters into his own hands when the CIA is not taking action.
Bernthal plays The Bear inThe Amateur. He is a CIA agent who is friends with Malek’s Charlie and has to step in to prevent the protagonist’s violent plans. The movie shares a similar genre withThe Accountant 2and sees Bernthal wrapped up in the conspiracies. AlthoughBernthal doesn’t appear too much, the thriller is still worthwhile to check out due to the unorthodox measures taken by Malek’s protagonist.
State of Play
State of Play is a political thriller directed by Kevin Macdonald. The film features Russell Crowe as a journalist who investigates the death of a congressman’s aide. Co-starring Ben Affleck as the congressman, the storyline delves into themes of corruption, media, and political intrigue. The ensemble cast includes Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, and Robin Wright, who contribute to unraveling a complex narrative marked by suspense and moral ambiguity.
Affleck’s career has lasted over three decades at this point. One of his underrated films is a conspiracy thriller from 16 years ago calledState of Play. The film tells the story of a Washington D.C. journalist who investigates a case involving a representative after a key congressional aide is killed.Affleck plays Stephen Collins,a Congressman who was having an affair with an aide.
While this movie is also concerned with conspiracy, it sees Affleck take on a very different type of role. Still, the movie is an opportunity for him to exhibit his strengths in maintaining key on-screen chemistry with the other major leads while still bringing his all to a thriller. It is also an opportunity to see Affleck in one of his roles from over a decade ago.
Rampart
Rampart, directed by Oren Moverman, stars Woody Harrelson as veteran police officer Dave Brown in 1999 Los Angeles. The film follows Brown as he battles personal and professional turmoil while the LAPD Rampart scandal unfolds. Harrelson’s portrayal is complemented by strong performances from a supporting cast that includes Robin Wright, Sigourney Weaver, and Ice Cube. Rampart explores themes of corruption, morality, and redemption.
Bernthal’s early career was mostly one-off episodes on TV, but one of his earlier film roles was in the 2011 filmRampart. Directed by Oren Moverman, the movie tells the story of a Los Angeles police officer named Dan Brown who works hard to take care of his family while also struggling for his own survival. In addition to Bernthal, itsleading cast included Sigourney Weaver, Ben Foster, and Woody Harrelson.
Perhaps Bernthal’s growing fame, andAccountant 2connection, could help the movie gain a new life.
Rampartis great forAccountant 2audiences who are attracted to the movie’s more crime-centric elements. The film also received relatively positive reviews from critics, getting a 73% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film could still use some redemption among audiences, who gave it a 35% Popcornmeter. Perhaps Bernthal’s growing fame, andAccountant 2connection, could help the movie gain a new life.
The Way Back
The Way Back stars Ben Affleck as Jack Cunningham, a depressed alcoholic who is offered a job coaching his former school’s basketball team. As his work with the team begins to improve his life, Jack is also forced to confront his past demons, leading to disastrous consequences. Al Madrigal, Michaela Watkins, and Janina Gavankar also star.
On a plot level,The Way Backis not at all similar toThe Accountantmovies. Rather than a whodunnit and conspiracy-based movie, the film is a basketball drama about a former high school basketball legend who gets redemption after leaving the sport when he is offered the opportunity to coach the sport at his alma mater. The film is an emotional drama that is worthwhile to watch, particularly due to Affleck’s powerful performance.
Despite having a distinct plot, it is closely connected toThe Accountant 2in thatit shares a director and main cast member.Gavin O’Connor helms both films, and Affleck is the star of both.The Way Backcame afterThe Accountantbut before its sequel, giving the director-actor duo a chance to work together again, but in a very different style and premise.
Jane Got A Gun
Jane Got a Gun is a Western drama film centering on Jane Hammond, who begrudgingly asks her ex-lover to help her save her new husband from a violent gang. Natalie Portman stars as Jane Hammond alongside Joel Edgerton, Ewan McGregor, and Rodrigo Santoro. The film is directed by Gavin O’Connor, who previously directed the Oscar-nominated film Warrior.
WhileThe Way Backsees O’Connor step away from the action genre, his 2015 filmJane Got A Gunfalls within the same category. Thissees O’Connor work with some additional genre elements, including a period setting and working within the Western tradition. The film focuses on a woman who enlists her former lover to help her save her husband from being killed.
Still, it shows how skilled O’Connor is at working with A-list actors in an action-genre film, making it a worthwhile watch.
This film is situated beforeThe Accountantin O’Connor’s oeuvre. UnlikeThe Way Back, Affleck is not present in this film, which instead has a cast that includesNatalie Portman, Joel Edgerton, and Ewan McGregor. Still, it shows how skilled O’Connor is at working with A-list actors in an action-genre film, making it a worthwhile watch.
Argo
Argo is a historical thriller adapted from the memoir of CIA operative Tony Mendez. The film follows Mendez as he infiltrates Tehran, Iran, by pretending to be filming a sci-fi movie during the Iran hostage crisis at the beginning of the 1980s. Ben Affleck stars as Mendez as he infiltrates to save the six escaped embassy staff members.
Affleck has served in many creative roles over the course of his career, including actor, director, producer, and writer. He wore three of these hats forArgo, a biopic that tells the true story of a CIA agent who pretends to be a location-scouting Hollywood producer to complete a rescue mission during the hostage crisis in Iran. It is one of Affleck’s most compelling films and won three Oscars, includingBest Picture.
Argois distinct fromThe Accountant 2in that it adapts a true story. Still, the film finds ways to be thrilling and action-packed, appealing to those who like this aspect ofThe Accountant 2. It is alsoa key movie in Affleck’s careerthat will appeal to any fans of his acting work more broadly.
Warrior
Warrior is a 2011 sports drama directed by Gavin O’Connor. The film stars Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton as estranged brothers who enter an MMA tournament, each driven by personal motives, which culminates in an emotional confrontation. Nick Nolte plays their father, a recovering alcoholic whose past actions have fragmented the family. The storyline weaves themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the enduring power of family bonds.
Before the firstAccountantmovie orThe Way Back, O’Connor made a film that covered both action and sports drama. This was 2011’sWarrior, a movie that focuses on the son of an alcoholic boxer who returns home to be trained by his father. LikeThe Accountant 2,the film straddles a troubled career with a fraught personal life.
The movie shows O’Connor’s knack for delving deep into a strong central duo. This time, those roles are played byTom Hardyand Joel Edgerton, who play estranged brothers. The film is interesting to watch to get a sense of O’Connor’s directorial style while also giving a different take on brotherly bonds from what is portrayed in something likeThe Accountant 2.
Triple Frontier
Triple Frontier is an action movie that sees five former Special Forces operatives reunite to plan a heist in a sparsely populated multi-border zone of South America. For the first time in their prestigious careers, these unsung heroes undertake this dangerous mission for themselves instead of the country. But when events take an unexpected turn and threaten to spiral out of control, their skills, loyalties, and morals are pushed to a breaking point in an epic battle for survival.
Affleck has done numerous types of films, spanning many genres, but action has been one common trend. In 2019, this takes the form of the Netflix movieTriple Frontier, which focuses on a group of special operatives and friends who attempt to rob money from a South American drug lord. LikeThe Accountant 2,it contains conspiracy elements and sees its characters get far too deepinto the situations they are in.
Another great element ofTriple Frontieris its cast. In addition to Affleck,the movie features Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, and Pedro Pascal.The relationship between these friends becomes incredibly important, adding a supplement to the action on screen.The Accountant 2similarly emphasizes Brax and Christian’s relationship at its core, giving it some overlap with the 2019 Affleck film.
Widows
Widows follows the story of four women in Chicago who are left with a debt from their deceased spouses' criminal activities. With little in common except their losses, they unite in an attempt to control their destinies by executing a heist.
Widowsis another of Bernthal’s works. The movie is directed by acclaimed Oscar-winning director Steve McQueen, though it is one of the more underrated works in his career as well. Though it has significant crime, thriller, and heist aspects, it really leans in on its intense drama, making it an extremely compelling film. The film did extremely well with critics, getting a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Bernthal plays Florek, one of the more challenging characters inWidows.He is the husband of Elizabeth Debicki’s Alice, and he was abusive towards her. While this might make the movie hard to watch for Bernthal fans, the film’s stellar cast, directing, and script make this movie a great watch.
The Accountant
Ben Affleck stars as Christian Wolff in the action thriller The Accountant, directed by Gavin O’Connor. A mathematical genius who connects more with his work than others, Christian freelances as a CPA for various criminal organizations to get by. However, when Christian starts to attract the unwanted attention of a Treasury agent, he attempts to go straight with a high-profile client – but his impeccable analytical skills uncover a financial discrepancy that dangerous people intend to keep hidden.
Perhaps the most logical recommendation for those who likedThe Accountant 2is the first film,The Accountant. Released in 2016, this movie helped establish the character of Christian Wolff and his unique style and personality traits. The film did fairly well in theaters, making $155.5 million on an estimated $44 million budget. It was this success, along with its relatively positive reception, that helped the second movie to get made.
The Accountanthas a 77% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Something that the first film has that its sequel does not is a heavier focus on Simmons' character, Ray King. Even fromThe Accountant 2trailers, it was clear that Ray died at the beginning of the sequel film. As such, the second movie includes the character for less screen time, but the first film allows his role to shine more. In addition to introducing Bernthal and Affleck’s characters, this alone makesThe Accountantworth watching.
The Accountant 2
The Accountant 2 sees Ben Affleck reprising his role as Christian Wolff. When an old acquaintance is murdered, Wolff enlists his estranged brother, Brax, to unravel a deadly conspiracy. Alongside Marybeth Medina, they confront a relentless network of killers determined to maintain their secrets.
