Greetings again from the darkness. As disappointing as most sequels are, there is a glimmer of hope when the original creative team and key cast members return. Such is the case with this sequel to the 2016 film, THE ACCOUNTANT (yes, it’s been nearly a decade). Director Gavin O’Connor and writer Bill Dubuque are back, and both have skins on the wall. O’Connor also directed MIRACLE (2004) and the criminally underrated WARRIOR (2011), while Dubuque was the creator of the hit series “Ozark”.
Two-time Oscar winner Ben Affleck returns as the brilliant and autistic accountant known as Christian Wolff (as well as a few other names). In what may be the least amount of screen time ever afforded a previous Oscar winner, JK Simmons’ Ray King – former director of FinCEN is assassinated, and his former protégé MaryBeth Medina (a returning Cynthia Asdai-Robinson) tracks down Christian to help solve the case. But, of course, things are never that easy, and they also find themselves knee deep in another case – one that hits mighty close to real world headlines with human trafficking and gang activity.
Christian contacts his lethal-weapon brother … yep, for the first time since the end of the first film … and Braxton (Jon Bernthal) reluctantly agrees to join the hunt. The two brothers interact in a manner we’re familiar with from all the ‘mismatched buddy films’ over the years, and Affleck and especially Bernthal excel at this, although it’s impossible not to note Affleck’s too-frequent smirks this time around. An early speed-dating sequence feels totally forced and out-of-place, and one can only assume it’s included for anyone who didn’t watch the first movie (which I highly recommend prior to viewing this one).
As good as the brother banter plays, the mish-mashed stories, lack of central villain, and over abundance of action sequences, turn this into a film trying too hard to please all audiences. Toss in extended segments featuring the autistic techno geniuses at Harbor Neuroscience Academy, and a description of Acquired Savant Syndrome, and the best advice is to just sit back and watch after turning off your own plot-solving brain cells. Christian has developed and funded the group of young geniuses at the Academy, and they are led by non-verbal Justine (played by Allison Robertson, and computer-voiced by Alison Wright of “The Americans”). The missing persons case centers around highly-trained assassin Anais (Daniella Pineda from the Jurassic World franchise), and we can’t help but think she could hold her own as a story and character.
The abundance of comedic elements might surprise fans of the first film, as might the war zone style shootout during the film’s climax and the overly-animated Affleck – all extremes when compared to the original, yet Affleck and Bernthal make the brotherly thing work
Opens in theaters on April 25, 2025
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. Director David Cronenberg is renowned for his brand of ‘body horror’, although his canon has certainly not been limited to the genre. Some of his films across the past fifty years include CRIMES OF THE FUTURE (2022), COSMOPOLIS (2012), A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (2005), CRASH (1996), DEAD RINGERS (1988), THE FLY (1986), VIDEODROME (1983), THE DEAD ZONE (a personal favorite,1983), and SCANNERS (1981). With his latest, Cronenberg offers a taste of what he’s known for, but mostly focuses on the extreme repercussions of grief.
Greetings again from the darkness. For most of us, the worst thing that happens at a dinner party is the pork loin is a bit dry or the wine selection is a bit lacking. Among the worst occurrences are the friction and hurt feelings caused by a joke-gone-wrong, or God forbid, someone brings up politics. It’s just such a dinner party that kicks off this film from writer-director Matt Winn and his co-writer and frequent collaborator, James Handel.
Greetings again from the darkness. No one familiar with Pink Floyd would expect a conventional concert film from the band. So how about a live concert from the ancient Roman amphitheater in Pompeii, the city destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.? And just for fun, we’ll have the band playing to an empty arena … no fans allowed. Now THAT is a Pink Floyd concert film.
There may be no such thing as a Free Lunch, but thanks to the USA Film Festival, there is something even better … FREE MOVIES! Of course, not all screenings are held at no charge, yet this remains an affordable and entertaining festival experience for all film lovers.
This year’s opening night event on April 23 is “The World of Nancy Kwan – A Salute to Nancy Kwan”. The breakout star of THE WORLD OF SUZIE WONG (1960) will participate in a book signing and an on-stage conversation, following a career retrospective including clips of her performances in film and television. Also on opening day, there is a Salute to renowned director Jon Avnet with a screening of his new film, THE LAST RODEO. Mr. Avnet will attend along with the film’s co-stars, Neal McDonough and Mykelti Williamson. All three were involved with the fantastic TV series, “Justified” and “Boomtown”, and Mr. Avnet is known for having directed FRIED GREEN TOMATOES (1991), as well as Broadway plays.
Greetings again from the darkness. It’s feasible for a filmmaker to have the best intentions with a project, and for whatever reason, the end result just not be satisfying. This appears to be the case with this latest from Heather Graham, who wrote, directs, and stars in a film meant to inspire us to take control of our own life and stop blaming others for the obstacles or our own poor decisions.
Sometimes a getaway to a Greek isle is meant only to be a good time. Such is the ongoing popularity of the stage production “based on the songs of ABBA”. The Swedish band’s global success was first derived through these songs in the 1970’s. In 1997, British playwright Catherine Johnson wrote the story that led to the smash stage musical (1998), followed up by the blockbuster film in 2008 (starring Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried). Both the stage production and the film were directed by Phyllida Lloyd. The most recent of many incarnations of the stage musical continues this year with a United States tour, a six-month stint on Broadway (beginning in August 2025), and finally, an international tour.
Greetings again from the darkness. Over his 60-year career, Neil Young has proven to be one of a kind. As an incredibly talented songwriter with an instantly recognizable singing voice, he’s also acclaimed for his guitar playing. Few musicians have cut a wider swath of diverse music than the Canadian-born Young. His success began in the 1960’s with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. A solo career with two amazing albums (“After the Gold Rush”, “Harvest”) took him to new heights in the 1970’s, followed by some hard-rocking tunes with Crazy Horse. Since then, he’s kept fans guessing as to what style each successive record would feature.
Greetings again from the darkness. We don’t typically look to South Korea for animated children’s stories recounting the history of Christianity, yet this first film from Angel Studio delivers just that … well specifically, the story of Jesus for Easter. Seong-ho Jang has made a name as a Visual Effects expert, and with this directorial debut, he tells the Jesus story in a way that should keep most kids engaged. The screenplay was written by director Jang, Rob Edwards, Jamie Thomason, and Hoseok Sung.
Greetings again from the darkness. So why did John Lennon and Yoko Ono leave England to live in New York? This film provides the answer. Where did they choose to live? The film provides the answer. Why did John perform his only full post-Beatles concert in 1972? This film provides the answer. Why did they become so politically and socially active during those first 18 months in the States? This film provides the answer. And if you ever wondered how John felt about American television, well you guessed it … this film provides the answer.
