Heads of State is an Amazon Prime movie brought to us by Ilya Naishuller. The director is certainly no stranger to badass action movies, having already given us the likes of Hardcore Henry and Nobody. After watching the trailer, I was sure I would find this fun, but this was one of the wildest thrill rides I have been on this year! So far, this is the best straight to streaming movie I have seen this year, and it is up there as one of the best movies in general I have seen.
Where to Watch Heads of State
Heads of State was released on July 2, 2025. You can stream the film from Amazon Prime Video.
The Movie Review: A High-Octane Ride
This has an awesome lead cast with John Cena and Idris Elba being the main two characters. However, in addition to John Cena and Idris Elba, we also have the gorgeous and super badass Priyanka Chopra. The supporting cast is awesome too, with Carla Cugino having a solid role and Jack Quaid absolutely stealing the scene he is in.
Classic Action Vibes with a Modern Twist
If you enjoy over-the-top action movies where you can turn your brain off and just have fun, Heads of State is for you. I got some pretty major 80s and 90s action movie vibes the whole time I was watching this. That, by the way, is meant as a massive compliment, and if you have seen the director’s other two movies, you will probably have a good idea of the kind of action you are in for here.
The Intriguing Plot of Heads of State
The movie starts with Priyanka Chopra’s agent Noelle and her team in Spain. Noelle is trying to lead an undercover sting to capture an elusive arms dealer called Viktor Gradov, who has not been seen in a few years. The situation goes very, very bad, and it turns out the whole thing was a setup for Gradov to get access to the network system, Echelon.
High-Stakes Political Tension and Reluctant Allies
In London, UK Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Idris Elba) is going to be meeting the newly appointed US President, Will Derringer (John Cena). These two could not be any more opposite! Sam is much more laid back, reserved, and has been in the job for six years. Will, on the other hand, is a former action star with a much more happy go-lucky, and outgoing kind of personality. The pair does not see eye to eye at first, but they have to show a strong front to the rest of the world.
Air Force One Goes Down: The Action Escalates
To try and show the world that they are friends, or at the very least, get along. Will invites Sam to travel on Air Force One, which is hijacked, and sees the two of them crash land in Belarus with the world thinking them dead! Thankfully, they find that Noelle survived the attack in Spain, and now the three of them need to work together to first of all survive, Gradov’s henchmen, who have found that they are still alive! Then they need to make it to the big NATO summit and expose the person who is behind all of this.
Explosive Action and Unforgettable Scenes
Heads of State is just awesome, plain and simple. Idris Elba and John Cena have fantastic chemistry together, and so do Idris Elba and Priyanka Chopra. There is some great humor in here, but there is a lot of heart, too. However, the real star of the show is the amazing action scenes, which seem to happen a great deal.
Soundtrack and Style Elevate the Experience
I am a big fan of Motley Crüe and any action scene that uses Kickstart My Heart is automatically better. However, this is the best use of Kickstart My Hart in any action scene that I have seen! That whole sequence is incredible; it has action, comedy, and peril, and it is up there as the best action scene I have seen in any movie this year.
Final Verdict: A Must-Watch Action Flick
If you love action movies, I am 99 percent certain that you will love this! Heads of State was a blast from start to end, and I can easily see myself watching this again before the end of the year. It even teases a sequel or some kind of spin-off, which I would be all about if they decide to do it. This is on Amazon Prime, and if you have Amazon Prime, it is a must watch if you want to turn your brain off and just have an awesome time.
