‘The Accountant 2’ Hits a Bullseye With Stellar Audience Ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and CinemaScore

In the decade or so since its release, the action-thriller The Accountant has developed something of a cult following. This was one of the biggest reasons why they decided to put a sequel into production. The franchise’s popularity among the masses is clearly reflected in the positive reactions that this week’s The Accountant 2 has opened to. Starring Ben Affleck in the titular role, the movie is facing off at the domestic box office against the holdover hit Sinners, and is poised to put up a strong challenge thanks to its excellent audience reception.

The Accountant 2 was “certified fresh” on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes a couple of days ago, and appears to have settled at a solid 77% approval rating. But it’s the film’s 93% audience score that’s truly worth writing home about. Thanks to this incredible achievement, The Accountant 2 has now earned the “verified hot” badge of honor on the platform. It’s supplementing this score with an excellent A- grade from opening day audiences, as per the polling platform CinemaScore. Needless to say, a higher grade usually translates into bigger box office returns.

By comparison, the original film earned a “rotten” 53% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but seemed to please audiences, who gave it an 77% score. Directed by Gavin O’Connor, The Accountant earned a slightly better A grade according to CinemaScore. The movie concluded its run with over $150 million at the worldwide box office, against a reported budget of around $45 million. The Accountant 2 cost a reported $80 million to produce. The movie is being distributed domestically by Amazon MGM Studios, unlike the first film, which was distributed by Warner Bros.

‘The Accountant 2’ Has Earned Better Reviews than the Original

The Accountant 2‘s A- CinemaScore is superior to the B+ grades earned by films such as The Beekeeper, The Amateur, and Den of Thieves 2: Pantera. Each of those movies emerged as relatively successful at the box office, with The Beekeeper being the clear winner, both critically and commercially. Crucially, The Accountant 2 has earned better reviews in comparison to the first film. In his review for Collider, Nate Richard wrote, “The Accountant 2 finds an even balance between the action and the drama. While Bill Dubuque‘s screenplay isn’t necessarily deep or going to take home any Oscars, it has a very strong understanding of its characters.” Also starring Jon Bernthal and J.K. Simmons, the movie is playing in theaters. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.