Among the many highlights of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad was the will-they-won’t-they bromance between Idris Elba’s Bloodsport and John Cena’s Peacemaker. While in the film, they were on the same side (for the most part), their constant bickering made for some big laughs. It was only a matter of time before the two action stars shared the screen once more.
With Heads of State, a new action comedy from Nobody director Ilya Naishuller, we get exactly that. While we are living in a post-COVID age, straight-to-streaming would-be blockbusters are still as prevalent as ever. Heck, Cena and the film’s distributor, Amazon MGM Studios, would know a thing or two about that. Just look at last year’s dreadful Jackpot!. But, somehow, partly thanks to having a filmmaker like Naishuller onboard, we get an action-comedy that feels like it was ripped out of the ‘90s in the best way possible. Make no mistake, Heads of State is not the kind of movie that will make your best-of-the-year list. But if you need a big, dumb action movie with two buff guys to kick back and down some beers while watching, you are in luck.
What Is ‘Heads of State’ About?
Heads of State is set in an alternate reality where world leaders are actually charismatic. Who could believe that? The film introduces us to US President Will Derringer (Cena) and UK Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Elba). Will is a former action star whose charisma and good-natured attitude have led him to receive record-high approval ratings. Sam, on the other hand, has felt emotionally empty, and his plummeting approval ratings haven’t done him any favors. The two are already at odds with each other, even before the action and explosions kick in, especially after Clarke stages a photo-op eating fish and chips with Will’s political rival.
Five months after being inaugurated, Will is finally set to meet Sam in the UK, thanks to a new state-of-the-art technology being presented to NATO. After a heated press conference, the two can’t stand the sight of each other, but at the recommendation of their advisors, they decide to fly on Air Force One together. The plane is soon shot down by enemy forces, and the world leaders are presumed dead. Now on the run, in an attempt to figure out who sabotaged them, Sam and Will cross paths with the presumed-dead MI6 agent Noel Bisset (Priyanka Chopra-Jonas), with whom Sam shares a romantic history. Between dodging bullets fired by a criminally wasted Paddy Considine or exchanging one-liners with an electric patriot played by Jack Quaid, Heads of State may be flawed, but it sets off enough cinematic fireworks to keep you entertained for its near two-hour runtime.
Idris Elba and John Cena’s Bromance Is Irresistible in ‘Heads of State’
Much like in The Suicide Squad, Elba and Cena prove to be a great comedic pairing. Despite their tough-guy demeanors, they don’t carry too much of their egos with them. Will and Sam are dorks, likable dorks, mind you, but they get their asses kicked nearly just as much as they kick ass. It’s part of the reason why Heads of State work as well as it does.
With Nobody and even Hardcore Henry, Naishuller has never failed to inject a lot of personality into his action setpieces, and unlike other direct-to-streaming actioners like Ghosted or Back in Action, you can tell that there’s an actual vision in the film. Whether it be a Barbie-esque montage of Chopra-Jonas traveling across Europe to find safety or a fight against break-dancing mountainfolk, Heads of State has a sense of style that never feels too forced. It might not be the most inventive film on the planet, but it’s far better than what it could have been.
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The PG-13 rating feels limiting at times, especially since the movie feels like it was edited down from an initial R-rating. Yet simultaneously, it gives Naishuller more amusing ways to show off the action. Particularly in a stand-out moment with Quaid sporting a bulletproof vest, sunglasses, and a semi-automatic rifle, while the Beastie Boys play in the background.
‘Heads of State’s Wacky Tone Balances Out Its Nonsensical Plot
Like the movies it was clearly inspired by, the “plot” of Heads of State is nonsensical. None of it is remotely realistic (but who cares in a movie like this), there are plot-holes galore, and the film wastes much of its supporting cast, such as Considine, Carla Gugino, Sarah Niles, and Stephen Root, in roles that don’t give them anything remotely interesting to do. It’s the very definition of a movie that requires the viewer to turn off their brain, which sometimes is to its detriment.
Naishuller, the screenwriting team of Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, and Harrison Query, and the entire cast seem fully aware of just how dumb Heads of State is, and just fully embrace it, at times nearly breaking the fourth wall to remind the viewer that this isn’t a movie to take remotely seriously. While in some movies and series, this can come across as obnoxious or making excuses for itself, it’s all part of the film’s charm. Elba and Cena are just so undeniably great together that it’s easy to forgive a lot of the other shortcomings.
If you decide to flip on an action-comedy where Cena and Elba play world leaders, and expect something on the level of the level of John Wick or Mission: Impossible, that’s completely on you. Right from the jump, Heads of State knows exactly the kind of movie that it wants to be, and leans into all the goofiness and stupidity that comes across as endearing rather than lazy. Naishuller continues to cement himself as one of the most reliable action directors working right now, finding ways to elevate a movie that, in other hands, would have been something closer to Cena’s abysmal 2023 film Freelance. It’s unapologetic, silly, and self-aware, while still having flashy action scenes that look surprisingly great. It’s the perfect movie to watch for the 4th of July once you get back from watching the fireworks.
Heads of State comes to Prime Video on July 2.
Heads of State
Heads of State may have one of the silliest plots you’ll see in a movie all year, but it’s elevated by great action and a charismatic cast.
- Release Date
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July 2, 2025
- Director
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Ilya Naishuller
- Writers
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Josh Appelbaum, André Nemec, Harrison Query
- Producers
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Idris Elba, John Rickard, Marcus Viscidi, Peter Safran
Pros & Cons
- John Cena and Idris Elba are great together, and their chemistry hasn’t fizzled since we saw them in The Suicide Squad.
- Ilya Naishuller directs the hell out of the action scenes, giving them lots of personality.
- Heads of State embraces its stupidity rather than hiding from it.
- Much of the supporting cast is wasted, especially Paddy Considine and Carla Gugino.
- There are moments where the movie’s silliness comes at its own detriment.
