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The Accountant (2016): Autism, Violence, Ben Affleck, and a Surprisingly Elite Action Flick
The Nightshift
PUBLISH DATE

May 5, 2025

DURATION

1:11:04

HOST(S)

Shane Hall, Collin Kennedy, Colin Hall

GUEST(S)

None

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movie plot

As a math savant uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities, and the body count starts to rise.

MOVIE GENRE
Key Figures
our score
EPISODE SUMMARY

In this Nightshift episode, the boys break down The Accountant (2016) — the “Rain Man meets Jason Bourne” cult action classic that turned tax fraud, autism, martial arts, and brutal takedowns into one of the most unexpectedly badass movies of the last decade.


We get into Ben Affleck’s performance as Christian Wolff — the hyper-organized, socially blunt, quietly hilarious, emotionally suppressed savant who can balance a ledger and choke a man out with a belt in the same afternoon.


We talk:

  • The ASMR glory of his OCD-perfect trailer setup

  • The grind-your-shins Muay Thai training routine

  • Affleck’s Pencak Silat fight choreography

  • Why the old couple shootout is one of the best scenes in any mid-2010s action movie

  • The iconic belt kill

  • The house raid, Navy SEAL brawl, and “flashbang to the crotch” moment

  • The long-lost brother twist (shoutout Brax)

  • The autistic coding, quirks, and finger-blowing tic

  • Why Anna Kendrick works (and why the FBI subplot doesn’t)

  • J.K. Simmons’ chaotic energy

  • Jon Bernthal playing Jon Bernthal

  • The movie’s odd emotional beats, backstory, and flashbacks

We also debate:

  • Who should have been cast instead of John Lithgow

  • Why Emily Blunt almost took Kendrick’s role

  • Whether Christian Bale or Matt Damon could’ve played Wolff

  • The Accountant cinematic universe (part 2 + part 3)

  • Whether autistic operators exist in real life (probably yes)

  • If Wolff and Kendrick’s characters should “do math before coitus”

  • Whether this movie is Affleck’s best pure action role

This one is weird, violent, funny, rewatchable, and absolutely its own thing.


Nightshift is clocking in — with spreadsheets, silencers, and a shocking amount of belt-based homicide.

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