“The Accountant” sounds like it could have been the worst action movie in the world if it was made in 1986. Lucky for audiences it is made in 2016.

For as outrageous as an accountant with high functioning Autism who happens to be a lethal killer sounds, it actually makes for a very entertaining movie.

Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck, “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice”) is an accountant who cooks the books for some of the most dangerous men in the world. When hired by Lamar Black’s (John Lithgow, “Interstellar”) company to figure out discrepancies originally found by Dana Cummings, (Anna Kendrick, “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates”) a series of events clash from various points of Wolff’s life. From Braxton, the mercenary for hire (Jon Bernthal, “Netflix’s Daredevil”) to Ray King (JK Simmons, “Whiplash”) and Marybeth Medina’s (Cynthia Addai- Robinson, “Arrow”) treasury department investigation of the mysterious, murderous accountant.

The incorporation of Wolff having Autism is something truly remarkable and different. Of course many iconic characters throughout the history of cinema have been on the spectrum. Sean Penn in “I Am Sam,” Dustin Hoffman in “Rain Man,” and Tom Hanks in “Forrest Gump” are just some of the big names to have the challenge and privilege of bringing this aspect of modern-day life struggles to the screen.

Affleck’s accountant is different, because unlike the other portrayals, he does not set his own limitations. He has learned to be able to blend better with society instead of being seen as a “freak,” which he dealt with numerous times as a child. The journey of Christian Wolff is such an extraordinary origin story they could have made him a straight up superhero.

Affleck’s career is a special one, because it easily could have ended a little more than ten years ago. After a slew of slops in the early 2000s, his saving grace was his hidden talents at writing and directing. After directing “Gone Baby Gone,” it seemed like Affleck’s career had been rejuvenated. Almost everything he’s involved in now is a massive hit. Sure he’s had missteps, but this is the golden age of Affleck and “The Accountant” proves he deserves his place in film.

He is one of the best writer/ directors working today, however people criticize his acting. Affleck brings a lot of heart to this role for playing a character with a hard time socializing and relating to people. A lot of unexpected big laughs come from the subtlest moments in the film and most of them are from Affleck.

This film has a fantastic cast of co-stars, like John Lithgow (“Interstellar”) and Jeffrey Tambor (“Transcendent”) who are incredibly talented comedic actors that kill their roles in this drama.

A name that deserves some real recognition however is Bernthal who plays the cool assassin Braxton. He has had smaller roles in huge movies, but has always managed to stand out, something about his charisma and interpretation of these different kinds of characters. Bernthal’s Frank Castle in “Netflix’s Daredevil” may be his best performance leaving the audience breathless. Bernthal deserves more leading parts, he is not utilized nearly enough as his talents show.

“The Accountant” is the best action movie of 2016. It is smart, cooler than the title indicates and has some awesome cringe worthy moments. For all of the grand connections made, none of them are truly awe inspiring. The twists simply needed to be a bit bigger. Nevertheless, “The Accountant” may not be the action movie 2016 wanted, but it is certainly the one it needs.