‘Heads of State’ review: An agreeably preposterous geopolitical buddy comedy

In April, Prime Video premiered G20, starring Viola Davis as a United States President who uses her military experience to fend off mercenaries. Now, Prime Video has two world leaders battling for the slot occupied by James Bond, Jason Bourne and Ethan Hunt.

In Ilya Naishuller’s Heads of State, freshly elected US President Will Derringer (John Cena) and veteran UK Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Idris Elba) reluctantly come together for a National Alliance Treaty Conference event. Will, a former movie star and people pleaser, annoys the sober and buttoned-up Sam to no end.

Their first meeting is nearly as disastrous as a mission in Spain, in which British agent Noel (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) is defeated by Russian terrorist Viktor’s goons. I take results over likes on Instagram, Sam sneers. I am classically trained, I once did a play with Edward Norton, Will says in his defence.

A renewed attack by Viktor (Paddy Considine) forces Will and Sam to go on the run. Stuck in hostile territory, and with no way to reach their respective governments, the ill-matched duo has to join forces to survive.

Having won half its battle with the casting, Heads of State devotes the other half to agreeable preposterousness. Nobody director Ilya Naishuller wants his geopolitical buddy comedy to be taken...

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