It is very common to see a movie plot driven by revenge, but what happens when the one seeking revenge is an intelligent math genius who has Asperger’s Syndrom?

The Accountant is an exceptional movie with an unusual plot that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

This drama action film was released in theaters on Oct. 14, 2016 and was directed by Gavin O’Connor. O’Connor is known for directing other movies such as Jane Got a Gun and the famous hockey movie, Miracle.

Many big name actors and actresses appeared in the movie. Some of them included Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, Jeffrey Tambor and John Lithgow.

Affleck played the main character, Christian Wolff. The plot followed Wolff from when he was a young child to his current adult life. He has a high-functioning form of Asperger’s, which he struggles to overcome on a day-to-day basis. Because of his Asperger’s, he has trouble communicating, he repeatedly sings a lullaby when he is nervous or stressed, and he has a compulsive need to finish tasks that he has started.

Through many twists and turns, Wolff finds himself deep within a complicated scheme for revenge. All while he is taking in large sums of money and other forms of payment for difficult tasks, Wolff experiences death of loved ones, fights for his own life and others lives, and experiences a shocking run-in with an unexpected companion.

The plot was quite complex and sometimes a little difficult to follow because there were so many parts to the story. The shifts back and forth in time helped the viewers when it came to following the storyline. Besides the interesting plot, there were many other great things about the movie.

The acting was very convincing. Affleck was able to make his character very believable. Although he was intentionally difficult to communicate with, that didn’t stop the chemistry between him and Kendrick. I thought the actors and actresses in the film were all appropriately cast.

The cinematography of the movie was impressive. It was filled with scene after scene of action and gore. The angles, colors and camera shots made it look extremely realistic.

The music that went along with the film fit the theme. When there were fight scenes, the music was loud and intense. When there were calmer scenes, there was light music subtly playing in the background. When watching a movie, music may not seem very important. But thinking back, the music filled a lot of sound gaps, made things move along and intensified the story.

I am not usually into action-packed thriller movies, but I found this particular one very intriguing. When I see movies for the first time, I spend the entire time trying to predict what would happen. For me, The Accountant was far from predictable.

If you can’t handle constant loud gun fights and intense violence, I would not recommend this movie for you. It is rated R for a very good reason. No one under 16 should be seeing this movie alone. However, if you enjoy intense and complicated movies and can handle violence, then I highly recommend it.

Although I categorized the movie as an action film and a drama, the amount of comedy added was the perfect touch. It allowed for just enough comic relief to offset the extremely serious and thrilling situations that the main characters faced.

One angle that made The Accountant stand out from regular action movies was that it shined a very positive light on mental disabilities like autism. Two of the smartest people in the film had autism, and they were both brilliant and clever. It was made very clear that many people have some amazing ideas to communicate, but they might not communicate in the same way as you and I. Keeping an open mind and not being judgmental is key.

Like all great movies, the end let you fill in the blanks how you would like to. I wish they had come to a tighter conclusion instead of forcing viewers to make their own, but this way I get to imagine it exactly how I would like.

So what happens when a genius with a form of high-functioning Asperger’s gets himself into a mess of money, revenge and murder?

You’ll have to watch to find out. The Accountant is at both the River Cinema 15 in East Grand Forks and the Carmike 10 in Grand Forks.

Emily Gibbens is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. She can be reached at [email protected]