Amid heaps of political chaos, Heads of State delivers humour and heart in unexpected ways
On paper, Heads of State seems like the usual half-baked action comedy that relies on low-brow humour and big explosions to keep its audience interested. But even though this Amazon Prime Video release does contain moments like that, it's much smarter, better made and more entertaining than most 'straight-to-streaming' action movies.
The far-fetched but fun premise sees US President Will Derringer (John Cena) and British Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Idris Elba) forced to work together to survive when Air Force One is shot down over Belarus and they're the only survivors. They've been targeted by Russian arms dealer Viktor Gradov (Paddy Considine), who's also responsible for wiping out a CIA-MI6 task force led by British agent Noelle Bisset (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) sent to capture him in the film's opening sequence.
In the absence of Derringer and Clarke, US Vice-President Elizabeth Kirk (Carla Gugino) must keep Nato from disintegrating during a summit in Trieste, Italy, after a leak of classified documents revealing that the allies were spying on each other.
The least implausible part of this set-up is that Derringer used to be an action movie star whose bravado irritates the buttoned-down Clarke, who worked his way up from a housing estate. This forms the basis for a classic mismatched buddy action comedy in which antagonism between the leads turns into grudging respect and eventually friendship.
The two main characters could have been nothing more than broad stereotypes of Americans and Brits, but screenwriters Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec (Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol) give the characters some depth and nuance, providing Cena and Elba a lot to work with.
Despite the impression his big-lug appearance and professional wrestling past creates, Cena is surprisingly good at playing characters who lack self-awareness. Derringer might be brash, but he's also naively optimistic and genuinely wants to make the world a better place. This grates on veteran politician Clarke, the typically more cynical Brit grumbling about the clueless American. But underneath it all, Clarke has the same ideals, and it's highly enjoyable watching his tough exterior slowly start to warm to the golden retriever persona by his side. Elba's charisma is on full display and he and Cena make a likeable double act.
It's refreshing to watch a film that shies away from gratuitous violence or the nasty, cruel tone that permeates many modern action movies. There's a sense of fun and lots of wit in the action sequences and fights, which contain many clever, tongue-in-cheek moments, as Clarke with his army background ribs Derringer, who's only been in movie stunt fights.
It's no spoiler to reveal that Bisset survives the opening sequence and catches up with the two politicians, whom she tries to keep alive while they're being pursued by Gradov's assassins. Chopra Jonas' no-nonsense, ultra-competent spy is a welcome element to the central dynamic as she has a past with Clarke and also frequently shows up the men in the fight scenes (it's emphasised that Derringer is happily married, so there's no love rivalry between him and Clarke).
Unexpected shots and humorous sequences
Though the film does feel a bit long at the halfway mark, director Ilya Naishuller (Nobody) has a firm grip on balancing the comedy and thrills, while using some unexpected shots and humorous sequences (such as a fast-paced flashback capturing Bisset's search for Derringer and Clarke) to add some originality.
South African viewers will spot Sharlto Copley in a cameo role, a possible nod to his working with Naishuller on the director's first film, Hardcore Henry (2015). Jack Quaid (The Boys) also enlivens an action scene as a young CIA agent whose excitement at meeting Derringer belies his ingenuity as a spy. It all culminates in a hugely enjoyable final act in which Clarke must drive the US presidential car in reverse through the narrow streets of Trieste while Bisset and Derringer try to fend off a seemingly endless number of assassins with an infinite amount of weapons.
Given that the film was mostly shot in 2023, it's also unexpectedly timely and even daring in the current political climate as it earnestly defends Nato and the merit in working together to protect democracy.
But this movie isn't focused on messaging — it's focused on entertaining its audience, and viewers looking for a film that can be enjoyed by the whole family should definitely give this throwback to the buddy action movies of the '80s and '90s a chance. DM
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
an hour ago
- The South African
Was the Butler 'assassination attempt' on Donald Trump staged?
Is it remotely possible that showman, actor, TV producer and all-round heavyweight bullsh*tter Donald J. Trump was involved in staging the alleged 'assassination attempt' on him in Butler, Pennsylvania on 13 July last year? Because as many analysts, investigators and internet sleuths are pointing out…the 'official explanation' is riddled with weird and confounding inconsistencies. In a recent episode of his talk show, MOATS, British MP and political analyst, George Galloway, raised an interesting, important and pertinent question: 'Whatever happened to the guy…who came so close to murdering Donald Trump at Butler, PA?' Galloway asked. 'Why do I know less about him than I know about the latest K-pop star singing, You're My Little Soda Pop ? Why do I know more about Little Soda Pop than I do about the guy who drew blood, in broad daylight, by firing a bullet into the face of the man who was about to be the president of the United States?' 'I know nothing about him,' Galloway said. 'Haven't seen his manifesto. Know nothing about his motives, his associates, or who he was in touch with in the minutes, hours and days…before he came so close to changing the entire course of world history. 'Is that not a bit suspicious? Just saying…' Good question. Suspicious indeed. And it gets even more suspicious. On the anniversary of the Butler assassination attempt this year, Congress released a report detailing failures by the United States Secret Service (USSS) that allowed the 13 July 2024 attempted assassination of presidential candidate Donald J. Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, to nearly succeed. The report unveiled by US Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, exposes a disturbing pattern of denials, mismanagement, and missed warning signs – some occurring just minutes before shots were fired. Among the failures by the USSS documented in the report are 'inexcusable negligence, communication breakdowns, systemic weaknesses, and limited accountability'. The report states (summary): 'On July 13, 2024, a gunman climbed onto the roof of the American Glass Research building near the Butler Farm Show rally and opened fire, striking four individuals, including President Trump, and killing firefighter Corey Comperatore. The shooter had been reported to the Secret Service as suspicious and with a rangefinder at least 25 minutes earlier.' 'What happened in Butler, Pennsylvania, was not just a tragedy—it was a scandal. The United States Secret Service failed to act on credible intelligence, failed to coordinate with local law enforcement, and failed to prevent an attack that nearly took the life of a then-former president,' said chairman Paul. 'Despite those failures, no one has been fired. That's unacceptable. This was not a single lapse in judgment. It was a complete breakdown of security at every level—fueled by bureaucratic indifference, a lack of clear protocols, and a shocking refusal to act on direct threats.' Almost as if responding to Galloway's good question, political and media (and 'conspiracy theory') analysts, Keaton Weiss and Russell Dobular from Due Dissidence recently did a collating deep dive into the 'suspicious' mystery behind Trump's near murder and would-be assassin. In his introduction, Dobular announced, 'We're going to go Oliver Stone on this.' Citing director Stone's masterpiece film, JFK , he said, 'Stone presented a theory, and that theory was: Even if you don't think this is what happened, the 'official story' is not what happened, based on the evidence.' He added, 'There are a lot of weird things about this assassination attempt.' In a video titled, More Questions than Answers , here's what DD unpacked… The duo started by playing a clip from a video posted on X by alt news/media site HOT SPOT. The description in the post says, 'Footage of the attempted Trump assassination in Butler, PA shows a man lining up photographers at the precise moment the most effective campaign photo in US history was captured.' After the shooter fired on Trump, Keaton Weiss pointed out how bizarre it was that the Secret Service agent was concerned about coordinating the photographers. 'Your job is to protect the president, not the photographers, right?' Weiss said. 'Why are you corralling them? It's weird.' Dobular, a self-admitted 'theatre dork', questioned the strange decision by the SS to bring Trump 'downstage centre' (the part of a stage that's closest to the audience). 'This is an active shooter situation,' Dobular said. 'Why would you bring him downstage centre? That to me is the most suspicious part of this footage.' The video clip got to the part where shots have just rung out, and the SS have Trump on the ground and covered. And then, they again do something that was bewilderingly strange and reckless. They pick Trump up, exposing him to the shooter. Dobular paused the clip and asked the obvious question. 'So they got him down, which is what you'd expect. Why would you lift him up? Why would you expose him like that?' THE WAPO BODYCAM POV – TRUMP PAUSES FOR A PHOTO OP Russell then ran a clip of another angle – from the Washington Post; the POV of a photographer wearing a GoPro or body cam. 'This was definitely one of the photographers that the Secret Service guy was corralling', Weiss indicated. To which Dobular responded, 'Again, why would you position him like that in an active shooter situation? That is really the most suspicious thing in all of this.' In the POV clip, Trump can be seen forcing his SS guards to pause his rapid exit, as he raised his fist for that iconic photo-op moment, and shouted to the crowd, 'Fight!'. Dobular brought up another X post, by alt news/media platform, RAWSALERTS. It's allegedly a photo of the bullet whizzing past Trump's head. He then brought up several photos from different accounts questioning the blood, and lack of scar tissue on Trump's ear – and how quickly it seemed to heal. Commenting on the images and posts, Dobular said: 'A lot of people have pointed out the ear, claiming the blood should be dripping. Some pointed out there's no scarring in the ear. I personally don't think you see scar tissue there.' Dobular also ran a video of interviews with multiple witnesses who pointed out the shooter in advance when they saw him behaving 'suspiciously' and climbing onto the roof, but were ignored by police and SS. By late July, less than two weeks after the shooting, new photos emerged of Trump's ear apparently miraculously completely healed. On 8 August 2024, less than a month after the shooting – and the Republican National Convention where Trump was seen wearing a bandage on his ear – Trump was interviewed by the media at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, without the ear bandage. When a reporter asked about the absence of the bandage, in true narcissistic Trump fashion, The Don answered: 'I'm a fast healer. It's a helluva shot, but I'm a fast healer. Yeah, pretty much recovered.' 'I got very lucky. It just hit the lobe – as they call it,' he added. On 28 February, Elon Musk made another appearance on the Joe Rogan show. The subject of Trump's near-assassination came up. Along with some good questions about some very strange inconsistencies. As Rogan pointed out, the house of the (alleged) shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had been 'professionally' scrubbed, and Crooks had no internet or social media footprint. Here Musk interjected, 'Yeah, there's zero per cent chance that he has no social media footprint.' Rogan continued, 'With this kid, we don't know anything, right? And everyone's stopped asking questions. There was never a formal report or press conference where they detailed all the information we know currently and where the investigation stands. At the moment, what we know is you have a very young kid who was filmed, they knew he was there – with a rangefinder – half an hour before the event.' He pointed out, 'You also know that CNN streamed it live – which I do not believe they did for any other rally and certainly not for a rally that's in the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania.' Among the other anomalies in the case, Rogan also brought up 'the kid had 5 phones, that's a lot of phones for a 20-year-old kid. One of them was tracked to outside FBI offices several times.' 'There's a lot of weird shit', Rogan added. THE HIGGINS REPORT – 'THE BODY IS GONE' In early August 2024, Louisiana Republican Clay Higgins, a member of the House Task Team investigating the assassination attempt, was in Butler asking the coroner if he could investigate the body of Thomas Crooks – only to be told, 'the body is gone'. In his report submitted to the Task Force Chairman on 12 August, Higgins wrote: 'My effort to examine Crooks' body on Monday, 5 August, caused quite a stir and revealed a disturbing fact… the FBI released the body for cremation 10 days after J13.' 'On J23, Crooks was gone', Higgins reported. 'Nobody knew this until 5 August, including the County Coroner, law enforcement, Sheriff, etc.' Higgins said the Butler County Coroner 'technically had legal authority over the body, but I spoke with the Coroner, and he would have never released Crooks' body to the family for cremation or burial without specific permission from the FBI'. He also wrote that 'similar to scrubbing crime scene biological evidence … this action by the FBI can only be described as an obstruction to any investigative effort.' 'THE 'OFFICIAL STORY' IS NOT WHAT HAPPENED' In the course of the deep dive by Dissidence , Russell Dobular said, 'In my entire life, there has never been a would-be assassin as invisibilized as this assassin. I didn't know his name until I did the research for this.' Wrapping up their video, Dobular made his position and personal opinion on the 'assassination attempt' clear. 'Given how things have evolved since Trump became president…I believe this was staged to ensure that he would become president', he said. 'Nobody could ever prove that – but that's my opinion based on the evidence.' 'There's a lot of weird stuff. I think we can say, conclusively, that the story we're being told is not the truth. Clearly, there is a cover-up here. Whatever you believe about that, there's a cover-up.' He added, 'What the nature of it is, we don't know.' Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
TimesLIVE
3 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Trump says Israel will have to decide on next steps in Gaza, pledges more aid
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday Israel would have to make a decision on next steps in Gaza, adding that he did not know what would happen after the collapse of ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations with the Hamas militant group. Trump underscored the importance of securing the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, saying they had suddenly "hardened" up on the issue, and said the US would provide more aid to the war-torn Palestinian enclave. "They don't want to give them back, and so Israel is going to have to make a decision," Trump told reporters at the start of a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at his golf property in Turnberry, Scotland. "I know what I'd do, but I don't think it's appropriate that I say it. But Israel is going to have to make a decision," he said, while also claiming, without evidence, that Hamas members were stealing food coming into Gaza and selling it. Dozens of Gazans have died of malnutrition in recent weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave. The ministry reported six new deaths over the past 24 hours due to malnutrition, bringing the total deaths from malnutrition and hunger to 133 including 87 children. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both appeared on Friday to abandon Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, saying it had become clear that the Palestinian group did not want a deal. Netanyahu said Israel was now mulling "alternative" options to achieve its goals of bringing its hostages home from Gaza and ending Hamas rule in the enclave, where starvation is spreading and most of the population is homeless amid widespread ruin. Trump said he believed Hamas leaders would now be "hunted down", telling reporters: "Hamas really didn't want to make a deal. I think they want to die. And it's very bad. And it got to be to a point where you're going to have to finish the job." US to provide more aid, Trump says Trump on Sunday said the US would provide more humanitarian aid to Gaza, where concerns are mounting about the worsening hunger, but wanted other countries to participate as well. He said he would discuss the issue with von der Leyen. "We're giving a lot of money, a lot of food, a lot of everything," he said. "If we weren't there, I think people would have starved, frankly. They would have starved, and it's not like they're eating well." He said he had spoken with Netanyahu and discussed a number of issues, including Iran. He said and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer would also discuss Israel when they meet at Trump's golf property in Turnberry on Monday. Trump also noted said the United States was not acknowledged for earlier food aid for Gaza. "No other country gave anything," he said, calling out European countries in particular. "It makes you feel a little bad when you do that and, you know, you have other countries not giving anything... Nobody gave but us. And nobody said, Gee, thank you very much. And it would be nice to have at least a thank you."
The South African
6 hours ago
- The South African
Simone Ashley's look inspires a fashion revolution
British actress Simone Ashley, known for her breakout in Bridgerton , was photographed on the set of the film in Midtown, New York. She wore striking opaque black knee-high socks paired with black patent leather pointed-toe pumps, featuring a high strap reminiscent of classic Mary Janes. Simone Ashley finished her look with a tapestry-style dress by Monse. The dress costs approximately R18,500 (converted from $990). It displayed a quirky UFO motif and delicate black harness straps. She layered it over a crisp white shirt with a Peter Pan collar, another nod to the school-inspired aesthetic, according to WWD. Other celebrities have joined the movement. Singer Ciara, in New York, wore pristine white socks inside the bold Christian Louboutin Condora pumps. Keke Palmer also turned heads at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans. She wore Louboutin pumps too, this time finished with sheer, bow-adorned socks. Palmer shared, 'This look feels fresh. It's a playful twist on tradition, and I love how it changes the vibe.' For fashion lovers, this is more than just a global fad. Durban fashion blogger Sipho explained, 'With our climate, socks and heels are practical. Nights can be cool, but you still want to look sleek. Plus, the ability to mix colours and textures brings more life to everyday looks.' It seems the socks and heels trend, once frowned upon, is now a badge of bold, eclectic style. Filming for The Devil Wears Prada 2 is currently underway in New York City. This marks the highly anticipated return of the beloved fashion-focused sequel nearly two decades after the original film. The production has captured key cast members, including Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs. She has evolved into a powerful figure in the fashion media world, and Meryl Streep reprised her iconic role as Miranda Priestly. The sequel, directed again by David Frankel with a screenplay by Aline Brosh McKenna, explores the challenges Miranda faces as the magazine industry changes. As more local designers take notice, don't be surprised if you see daring combinations on Bree Street or Sandton Square soon. Fashion, after all, is about rewriting the rules, and South Africa loves a revolution. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
