Gavin O’Connor’sThe Accountantis renowned for its brilliant action sequences and sharp character work, with Ben Affleck’s protagonist remaining one of the actor’s most impressive roles to date. The film centers around a shady accountant named Christian Wolff whose criminal activities are quickly noticed by the police, forcing him to work alongside a legitimate client in order to throw off the trail.The Accountantis filled with interesting charactersand complex dynamics that make it very easy for the audience to invest themselves in this story.
Thankfully, viewers won’t have to wait too long for their next taste of O’Connor’s dynamic filmmaking;a sequel toThe Accountantis coming soon, with Ben Affleck returning in the lead role. While this follow-up took much longer to produce than most audiences were hoping for, it previewed to great reviews and should be a suitable sequel to the original story. However, for those who can’t even wait forThe Accountant 2, there are plenty of other movies in a similar style to scratch the same itch.
Nobody
Cast
Bob Odenkirk stars as Hutch Mansell, an underestimated and overlooked dad, and husband, taking life’s indignities on the chin and never pushing back. However, when two thieves break into his suburban home, Hutch declines to defend himself or his family, hoping to prevent serious violence. His teenage son is disappointed in him, and his wife seems to pull only further away - but the incident triggers the underlying rage in Hutch, leading him down a path to become a dangerous man with brutal skills and the attitude to match.
Bob Odenkirk’sNobodyis another movie whose sequel has recently been confirmed, and the original movie shares some major similarities withThe Accountant.The story follows an ordinary man whose home is broken into by thieves, leading him down a dangerous trail of conspiracy that forces him to get his hands dirty.
Much like O’Connor’s film,Nobodyworks because of how ordinary and mundane its protagonist seems on the surface, just for those expectations to be immediately subverted when the action begins. It features plenty of inventive fight sequences, cementing Bob Odenkirk as an unexpected action hero.
The Gray Man
Anthony and Joe Russo’s The Gray Man is based on the novel of the same name by Mark Greaney. It follows the covert assassin known as Sierra Six (Ryan Gosling) when he obtains sensitive information implicating his handler in the U.S. Government in a corruption scandal. Labeled a fugitive and hunted by a relentlessly violent agency fixer (Chris Evans), Six must prove both his innocence and his former employer’s guilt with the help of CIA agent Dani Miranda (Ana de Armas).
While their non-MCU projects often get a bad reputation,The Gray Manis a surprisingly entertaining movie from Joe & Anthony Russo that features a brilliant cast and some truly dynamic action scenes.The story follows two infamous CIA agents who enter a dangerous game of cat-and-mousewhen one of them uncovers national secrets that put the American people at risk.
While it’s rarely mentioned among theRussos’ best movies,The Gray Manis a very fun film that has much of the same storytelling bravery and electric performances that makeThe Accountantso beloved.
The Equalizer
The Equalizer is an action thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua starring Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, a former intelligence operative who lives a quiet life in Boston. When he encounters a young girl named Teri, played by Chloë Grace Moretz, threatened by violent Russian gangsters, McCall comes out of retirement to use his skills to restore justice. The film reimagines the 1980s TV series of the same name.
Antoine Fuqua’sThe Equalizerfeatures one of Denzel Washington’s fiercest performances to date, telling the story of an ordinary man with a violent past who finds himself dragged back to his old ways after witnessing a young girl’s kidnapping.
The Equalizeris the first of three movies in Antoine Fuqua’s trilogy.
While their protagonists couldn’t be more different, the similarities betweenThe EqualizerandThe Accountantare obvious; from the bold camerawork to the dark, gritty storytelling, these two projects clearly have a shared audience. It’s the lead performances that make or break these films, and both Washington and Affleck really disappear into their roles with full commitment.
The Bourne Identity
After waking up at sea with no memory of who he once was, Jason Bourne travels the world to discover his identity while mysterious assassins try to kill him. Matt Damon stars as Jason Bourne, a character first appearing in Robert Ludlum’s 1980 spy novel The Bourne Identity. The film was followed by The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, both of which were also adaptations of Ludlum’s work.
It’s hard to talk about modern action movies without touching onThe Bourne Ultimatum, which launched one of the most profitable franchises of its time. While there are arguablybetterJason Bournemovies, this first installment is the most similar toThe Accountantthanks to its grounded, character-driven storytelling and realistic action sequences.
The story follows an ex-spy named Jason Bourne who wakes up without any memories of who he is, leading him down a dangerous road of self-discovery that opens his eyes to some life-changing secrets.
Kate
An action crime thriller, Kate follows the titular character, a skilled assassin at the height of her game. But when she makes a careless mistake and compromises an assignment targeting a member of the Yakuza while in Tokyo, she discovers she’s been poisoned with a deadly serum that slowly kills her from the inside out, giving her less than 24 hours to exact revenge on her killers. As her body swiftly deteriorates, Kate forms an unlikely bond with the teenage daughter of one of her past victims.
Kateis one of the most underrated action movies in recent memory, blending a violent story about revenge and justice with some gorgeous neon-soaked visuals and atmospheric storytelling through the dark underworld of Tokyo. The film centers around a dangerous assassin who must race against the clock to exact revenge on the criminal who slipped her a fatal poison on her final job.Katefeatures some of the bloodiest and most creative fight sequences ever, with Winstead’s powerful lead performance giving the film an irresistible energy. LikeThe Accountant, it’s a film about how far people will go to protect themselves.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Kingsman: The Golden Circle, the second film in the Kingman franchise, is based on the comic book series of the same name by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. Kingsman: The Golden Circle continues the story of Eggsy (Taron Egerton), now codenamed Galahad. When a mysterious cartel known as the Golden Circle threatens international security, Eggsy must travel to America to request the help of the Statesman agency. The Golden Circle sees Egerton, Mark Strong, and Colin Firth reprise their roles from the previous film, and also introduces Julianne Moore, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, Halle Berry, and Jeff Bridges to the franchise in supporting roles.
TheKingsmanmovies have proven to be among the most successful action films of the past decade, with their voguish and often cartoonish portrayal of espionage making for some unforgettable fight sequences and equally memorable characters.The Golden Circlemay not reach the heights of its predecessor, but it feels like a perfect companion toThe Accountantthanks to its higher stakes and more international narrative. AlthoughThe Golden Circle’s mixed critical reception may have killed the series, it’s still an excellent movie that deserves more credit for Vaughn’s slick direction and visionary action choreography.
Olympus Has Fallen
Olympus Has Fallen an action thriller film and is the first in the franchise. The film follows former army ranger/special service agent Mike Banning who lost his position after the death of the President’s wife. When a North Korean terrorist group attacks the White House, Banning must tune back into his old skill set to save the president and the country from nuclear devastation.
Olympus Has Fallenmay have a much higher-stakes narrative thanThe Accountant, but one clear similarity between the two films is their visual styles. The way Fuqua and O’Connor film their action sequences is very similar, valuing energy and realism above all else.
I Loved Ben Affleck In The Accountant, But His Return Is Not The Most Exciting Thing About The Accountant 2
The Accountant 2 is setting up to be a much more thrilling outing than the original, but it’s not just because Ben Affleck is returning to the film.
This film tells the story of a Secret Service agent who is assigned to protect the president following a dangerous storming of the White House by North Korean terrorists, forcing him to put his life on the line in service to his country.It features two brilliant performancesfrom Morgan Freeman and Gerard Butler.
The Town
The Town, directed by Ben Affleck, follows Doug MacRay, a skilled thief seeking a way out of his criminal life. The plot intensifies as a bank heist leads to a developing relationship between Doug and a kidnapped branch manager, risking exposure to an FBI agent pursuing his crew.
Six years before starring inThe Accountant, Ben Affleck appeared in (and directed) another gripping crime thriller calledThe Town.The film tells the story of a group of robbers who take a bank manager hostage, eventually letting her go but keeping close tabs on her to keep her from going to the police.
The Townsecured an Oscar nomination for Jeremy Renner in the Best Supporting Actor category.
However, during his observations, Affleck’s protagonist falls in love with their victim.It’s a very interesting exploration of crime, justice, and the blurred lines of moralitythat Affleck navigates masterfully, makingThe Townone of thebest crime movies of the 2010s.
Léon: The Professional
Directed by Luc Besson, the 1994 thriller Leon: The Professional tells the story of professional hitman Leon (Jean Reno), who forms a bond with young girl Mathilda (Natalie Portman) after taking her as a protégée after corrupt DEA agent Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman) kills her family.
Léon: The Professionalfollows the unique partnership between a seasoned assassin and the young girl he takes under his wing, exploring how this complex relationship impacts both characters throughout the course of the film. Much likeThe Accountant, the film is a very in-depth examination of the criminal lifestyle, exploring what drives people to break the law and how far these people will go to protect themselves. While it’s less action-packed than most films in the genre,Léon: The Professionalis a very character-driven storythat displays excellent writing and even more impressive performances from the entire cast.
John Wick
John Wick is a 2014 action thriller featuring Keanu Reeves as a retired hitman. The film follows John Wick as he emerges from retirement to avenge the loss inflicted by a group of gangsters, setting the stage for a relentless pursuit and exploration of a shadowy underworld.
Not only isJohn Wicka perfect companion piece toThe Accountantthanks to its innovative fight sequences and grand-scale storytelling, it’s also among the most influential action movies of all time. Chad Stahelski’s film can be credited with breathing a new life into the revenge thriller genre, which has become increasingly popular in Hollywood ever since. The film centers around a retired hitman who returns to his violent lifestyle after his home is broken into by a crime family who also killed his dog.John Wickfeatures some mind-blowing stuntsthat go even further than those inThe Accountant.
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.
