Heads Of State Cast/Actors: John Cena, Idris Elba, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jack Quaid, Paddy Considine & Others
Heads Of State Movie Director: Ilya Naishuller
Heads Of State Movie Production House: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, The Safran Company, Big Indie Pictures & Amazon MGM Studios
Heads Of State Movie Release Date: 2nd July, 2025
Heads Of State Movie Available On: Amazon Prime OTT Platform
Heads Of State Movie Released/Available In Languages: English
Heads Of State Movie Runtime: 1h 53m
Heads Of State Movie Critic Review:
Agent Noel Bisset (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) does it first. “We’ll ketchup with you…”
British Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Idris Elba) later ketchups up with her. “Everything harpoons for a reason,” he says self-consciously after they’ve emerged from a series of set action pieces with multiple weapons.
But it’s weapons’ lord Viktor Gradov (Paddy Considine), a Russian arms dealer with more money to burn than the security budgets of the US and UK put together, topped with a personal revenge agenda, who’s set off the action all over. Especially targeting the President of the United States of America Will Derringer (John Cena), a Reagan type actor-turned-politician, and PM Clarke.
Director Ilya Naishuller (Russian filmmaker) with writers Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Harrison Query, make a punny, funny, action film where the end’s obvious but the ride is lighthearted.
POTUS and the PM are like teenagers outdoing each other when Derringer makes a state visit to the UK and the two heads of state put each other down at a media meet. Most of it brings a smile to the face. Like the President boasting about training for action and the PM responding, “For a film”.
They have a boyish beef against each other that goes back to a fish-n-chips lunch that Clarke had with Derringer’s political rival.
The band-aid decided by their respective advisors after their boisterously disastrous press conference is for POTUS to invite the PM to join him on Air Force One to Trieste where both are to attend a NATO gathering. Standing together on top of the stairs before entering the aircraft makes for a great photo-op, a visual to wash away their earlier botch-up.
Among the many lines hurled at each other is one where Derringer refers to his Oval Office and remarks that the PM doesn’t have a name for his office, does he? Clarke’s comeback: we don’t have a fetish for colours and shapes. White House. Oval Office. Huh.
The banter’s fun.
Until Gradov targets Air Force One.
Where does Agent Bisset fit in with the boys?
It’s Bisset who turns up to rescue the two world leaders and the trio fights its way to Trieste.
In fact, the film begins with Bisset leading an MI6-CIA joint op to get Gradov during the colourful La Tomatina in Spain. An op that goes south with Bisset the sole survivor.
A traitor in POTUS’ team. A surveillance tool called Echelon. A backstory for Gradov where he’s got an emotional reason for targeting the CIA.
Humour. Inevitable friendship. A touch of romance between Bisset and Clarke (the two coloureds). And overdosing on action that’s so endless, it’s quite out of control by the time it climaxes in Trieste.
John Cena and Idris Elba are entertaining in stereotypical portrayals of the American and the Brit. From playing Alex in Quantico to Nadia in Citadel, Priyanka’s the constant kickass agent.
Heads Of State Watch Or Not?: Good as a light OTT watch but do be prepared for a painfully overdone climax.
Heads Of State Review Score Rating: 2.5 out of 5 (i.e. 2.5/5)
Heads Of State Official Trailer:
Credits: Prime Video
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 to two boys, the President of the United States of America (John Cena) and the Prime Minister of England (Idris Elba). Do action and puns add up to a lot of fun? Our review has the answer.){kind=link}