‘Heads of State’ An Unlikely Odyssey

The society we belong to these days is security reliant and we as a people need this safety so we can live amongst good citizens. Today everything we own or do needs some sort of protection, if our information were to be leaked, it could in some cases ruin us. Our money needs to be available to us, and our life relies on that our mistakes are kept hidden. What if the government had all of this information and that precious cargo was to be stolen and sent all over the planet?

When a joint task force between MI6 and the CIA, in Bunol, Spain, led by senior British agent Noelle Bisset (Priyanka Chopra), to locate and hunt down a Russian terrorist group goes array, a threat on the world becomes imminent. Allowing Viktor Gradov (Paddy Considine), the most dangerous arms dealer in the world to escape and plan his vengeance. With help from Arthur Hammond (Stephen Root), an expert hacker, Gradov is able to steal and hack into the ECHELON program, a global surveillance program that is used by the Five Eyes (FVEY) countries that makes up the Anglosphere intelligence alliance (Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States).

The friendliness between England and the US has been off since the election of Will Derringer (John Cena), former action star on the big screen, as the new President of the United States. The current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sam Clarke (Idris Elba), veteran of the British Army, does not feel that Mr. Derringer is a legit politician and comes across as a phony. When the White House Chief of Staff, Simone Bradshaw (Sarah Niles) and Downing Street Chief of Staff Quincy Harrington (Richard Coyle) decide to get both leaders together to try and build back the bond both countries used to have. This decision places both leaders on Airforce One to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meeting in Trieste, Italy, allowing for the tragedy that happens next. 

Along the way the two leaders meet some interesting characters, such as, CIA officers Marty Comer (Jack Quaid) and Thomas 'Coop' Cooper (Sharlto Copley), assassins Olga (Katrina Durden) and Salsa (Aleksandr Kuznetsov), and the Vice President of the United States Elizabeth Kirk (Carla Gugino). After a disastrous tragedy, the world gets a glimpse of how vulnerable it is when two major power leaders have suddenly been eliminated. Now on the run, both Sam and Will must find a way to safety, before Viktor destroys the planet as they know it.  

Director Ilya Naishuller developed an interesting action storyline with some funny scenes and many puns that keep the quest alive. He does an outstanding job with the special effects during the flight scenes and the attack on Airforce One. The fun action events and enjoyable fight scenes that he presents throughout the journey is well displayed and does help keep the adventure working. With Naishuller putting together these wonderful actors, Idris Elba, John Cena, and Priyanka Chopra the entertainment is nonstop as they help keep this story going. 

The outcome of this unlikely expedition from this team of unexpected heroes is definitely enjoyable and captivating. It is worth spending your leisure time, especially if you like conflict crusades, on perilous ventures through enemy lines, and topping it all off with some slap stick comedy. Take some time for yourself and check out this film while it is still streaming on Amazon Prime. 

Final Comment: I based my grade on hilarious antics, entertaining performance from the cast, along with the amazing special effects and action scenes. 

Stars 3.5 out of 5

Additional Film Information

Cast: Idris Elba, John Cena, Priyanka Chopra, Carla Gugino, Jack Quaid, Stephen Root, and Paddy Considine.

Directed by: Ilya Naishuller

Genre: Action, Comedy, and Thriller.

MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence/action, language and some smoking.

Running Time: 1 hour and 56 minutes.

Release Date:  July 2, 2025

Distributed By: Amazon MGM Studios

Release In: Streaming on Amazon Prime