Why did Chris go to jail in The Accountant?

Last Modified Mar 19, 2025 05:44 EDT
Why did Chris go to jail in The Accountant?
Why did Chris go to jail in The Accountant? (Source: Screengrab from the film)


Chris Wolff, identified as Prisoner 831, was detained at Fort Leavenworth, a military prison, following a violent incident at his mother’s funeral. Currently working as a forensic accountant, he was diagnosed with a high-functioning form of autism as a child. He is a genius mathematician with a lethal moral code, uncovering insider financial frauds on behalf of various criminal organizations.


Gavin O’Connor’s “The Accountant” is a 2016 American action thriller starring Ben Affleck as the enigmatic Chris Wolff. Also featuring Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, and Jeffrey Tambor, the film is a blend of intense action sequences and financial manipulations. Narrating the story through multiple flashbacks, the writer Bill Dubuque explores the themes of neurodiversity, violence, loyalty, and morality.


Why did Chris go to jail in The Accountant?


Ben Affleck as Chris Wolff and Rob Treveiler as his father in The Accountant
Ben Affleck as Chris Wolff and Rob Treveiler as his father (Source: Screengrab from the Film)


Ray King (J.K. Simmons) during a conversation with Medina (Cynthia Addai- Robinson), reveals his connection with the mysterious shadowy figure of “The Accountant”. It is the accountant who is responsible for his remarkable career and is a driving force behind the numerous high-profile cases that he has solved so far. Despite being shrouded behind heavily redacted military records, his investigations led him back to the spring of 2003, at the funeral of a first-grade teacher, from Kankakee, Illinois.


Mrs. Lauren Alton is survived by her husband and two sons. Alongside his military colonel father, Chris Wolff attends his mother’s funeral, where they are an unwelcome presence. A brawl eventually breaks out in the funeral home, the cause of which the authorities are unable to determine. Six locals with a variety of injuries are admitted to the hospital. The colonel steps in to shield Chris from a deputy’s gunfire and is fatally shot. In the aftermath of the incident, the army collects both Chris and his father.


The police report refers to Chris as “Soldier One” and all King and Medina are aware of are his long list of aliases. Chris ends up as Prisoner 831 in Fort Leavenworth before getting transferred to the detention center in D.C. There he meets his mentor and friend Francis Silverberg (Jeffrey Tambor) which largely determines the later course of his life.


Also Read : What is the accountant about


Who plays Chris in The Accountant?


"The Accountant 2" World Premiere - 2025 SXSW Conference And Festival
Ben Affleck in "The Accountant 2" World Premiere - 2025 SXSW Conference And Festival


Ben Affleck, an award-winning American actor, writer, and filmmaker portrays Chris Wolff in “The Accountant”. Born on August 15, 1972, in Berkeley, California, Affleck bore an early affinity toward acting. His breakthrough was the 1997 film “Good Will Hunting” that he co-wrote with Matt Damon. The film won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, officially skyrocketing his Hollywood career.


He has starred in major films such as Shakespeare in Love (1998), Pearl Harbor (2001), and Daredevil (2003). The 2007 thriller starring his brother Casey Affleck, “Gone Baby Gone”, was his directorial debut. Affleck received his career’s second Oscar accolade for the 2012 political thriller “Argo”, which he directed and starred in. The film also earned two Golden Globe and BAFTA awards.


Also Read : Cast of the accountant 2

FAQs about The Accountant

A. Yes. The Accountant 2 is set to theatrically release in the United States on April 25, 2025. 

A. No, the film is fictional and was written by Bill Dubuque.

A. Dana receives an original Jackson Pollock painting hidden underneath a copy of another painting titled “Dogs Playing Poker.”

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