On paper, ‘Heads of State’ should work. It’s an old-school buddy action-comedy with John Cena and Idris Elba in the lead. Its premise, the U.S. President and the U.K. Prime Minister (played by Cena and Elba, respectively) must join forces to stop an arms dealer from destabilizing the world through a global surveillance program and an effort to neutralize NATO.

As with any buddy action-comedy, the two lead characters usually hate each other. John Cena’s Will Derringer is a former action movie star who is more versed in the optics of politics though has little experience with actual governance. Sam Clarke, played by Idris Elba, is a British Army veteran who has very little respect for Derringer. The two play off the usual Americans and British stereotypes but eventually find common ground through their adventures.

Again, on paper, this follows the formula for what could have been an entertaining movie but the current geopolitical landscape and ongoing world events cast a shadow over the film’s good intentions. The project was announced as far back as 2020, but filming didn’t begin until May 2023. They likely had a finished, approved script and aimed to deliver a comedy that would let audiences laugh at the contrasts between the U.S. and the U.K.

But then American politics happened. A reality star-turned-president takes his second term, and all throughout the first half of 2025, he began to destabilize the American image and his actions in regards to the Russia-Ukraine war and his pointed comments against NATO becomes an obvious counter-point to ‘Heads of State.’ The film, unfortunately, is not a satire and with the current news cycle as the backdrop of the movie’s release: it looks and feels like a hallow ideal that is not at all representative of any sort of truth.

And it’s unfortunate. For a straight-to-streaming movie, the film is supported by a big budget and has a lot of action sequences that rival Hollywood’s major summer blockbusters. There are rather intricate fight sequences – some funny while others are huge set pieces in big locations with a lot of explosions – that can really make the movie standout. It also includes the usual banter and funny quips that Clarke and Derringer throw at each other, which ends up with mixed results. Cena has clearly mastered this genre and demonstrates strong comedic timing. Elba, however, feels detached and is unable to bring his usual charm to the plate to make the role fully realised and work within this genre.

Films like these operate on a level of escapism – a fantasy that world leaders have our best interest (and the world’s) at their sights. It’s very similar in scope to another Amazon Studios film ‘G20’ with Viola Davis. But the recent news cycles that are inescapable on social media and the news tells us a different story about what the western world and those in power really stand for. ‘Heads of State’ feels tone deaf and silly. 

It doesn’t help that Priyanka Chopra, who plays an MI6 agent with a shared past with the U.K. Prime Minister, takes on her role a little too seriously, feeling out of sync with the film’s overall tone. Meanwhile, Carla Gugino is underutilized as Elizabeth Kirk, the Vice President of the United States. Gugino is always an interesting presence on screen, but here, she’s given far too little to do.

On paper, ‘Heads of State’ should have worked but it’s about ten years too late. It’s presents a fantasy where Western nations – especially the US and the UK – are leaders for peace and order in global politics but the more you dig deeper into history and the general impressions of people online, it seems we’ve all become aware of the imperial history of both countries for this film to be excused for its good intentions.

My Rating:

Heads of State is now streaming on Prime Video. Hit play if you’re in the mood for some action-comedy escapism.