Heads of State
Idris Elba and John Cena star as the UK Prime Minister and US President in Heads of State, an explosive action-comedy helmed by Nobody director Ilya Naishuller. The leaders’ relationship is already tenuous at the start of the film, with Elba’s veteran politician unable to take Cena’s action star-turned-President seriously, whereas the President still holds a grudge over the PM for supporting his political rival. However, the pair are forced to work together when Air Force One is attacked by a Russian arms dealer (Paddy Considine), stranding them in the middle of Belarus. With the rest of the world believing them to be dead, they must find a way to survive and stop their would-be killer’s plan to dismantle NATO in this highly enjoyable but ultimately generic action outing.
Previously working together in James Gunn’s Suicide Squad, as well as appearing in various other blockbuster titles, Cena and Elba have made names for themselves as action stars and are just as entertaining to watch here, too. Both actors fit their respective roles remarkably well as their contrasting onscreen personas playfully bounce off each other. They’re later joined by pun-loving MI6 operative Noel Bisset (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), who becomes an invaluable part of the team and gets their own moments to shine. Jack Quaid has a scene-stealing role as an oddball CIA agent in the feature’s most creative action sequence, but Considine is disappointingly underused as the main antagonist.
Although this flick doesn’t have the same vicious bite as Nobody, Naishuller brings plenty of style and fluidity to this title’s collection of fist fights, car chases, and shootouts that keep the momentum going throughout its two-hour runtime. There are even some unexpected plot twists towards the third act that add some intrigue to the script. Despite the film dealing with timely themes about divisive politics and fractured alliances, the narrative never tries to do anything with those ideas that extends beyond broad story beats.
Featuring huge stars and even bigger action scenes, Heads of State is the definition of a popcorn film. It’s entertaining enough to be a pleasurable experience, but it lacks the depth to make the most of its premise and stand out from the rest of its straight-to-streaming peers.
Andrew Murray
Heads of State is released on Prime Video on 2nd July 2025.
Watch the trailer for Heads of State here:
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