Heads of State is a fantastical, action-packed buddy comedy with international appeal. Under the direction of Illya Naishuller, the timely buddy-comedy centers Idris Elba as Sam Clarke, the UK Prime Minister and a veteran SAS-trained special ops commando, John Cena as Will Derringer, President of the United States and former action movie star, Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Noel Bisset, a MI6 agent, and Jack Quaid as an ally. When a security breach and global conspiracy threaten to destroy both the US President and the UK Prime Minister, they must put their public differences aside as a means of survival, and rely on one another’s instincts to outwit their adversary.
Given the current political climate globally, Heads of State offers a humorous and outlandish perspective on poignant themes like foreign relations, government security breaches, and treason. It premiered in the US on July 2nd on Prime Video, and includes many moments that are filled with slapstick comedy, while the plot of the movie shines a light on the reality that sometimes, many politicians and world leaders are voted into office for all the wrong reasons. Though charismatic, Will Derringer, as the US President, is at times very much oblivious to how to run a nation, while Sam Clarke is very calculated, calm, and strategic when their backs are against the wall. But it’s their dualities that keep the action moving along in a fun and engaging manner.
The film is action-packed with lots of high-stakes escape and rescue scenes. In a recent conversation with ESSENCE, Elba shared that the film is intended to be out of this world when it comes to the action sequences. “The premise of this movie is, larger than life—like really larger than life. And it’s described to be exactly that. You know, these two characters find themselves at opposing ends of friendship and find themselves in a situation where they have to have fun. I don’t think this is based on anything that we can imagine in real life. It is completely fantastical and designed to be that way. We want it to be escapism from what the real world is going through.”
Elba does a convincing job conveying a level-headed Prime Minister, yet he admits that he is not as calm and collected as Sam Clarke in reality. Yet, there are some similarities. “I’d say that Sam Clarke isn’t so much of a panic guy,” the actor said. “He doesn’t panic. He’s a bit grumpy, and he’s a bit pragmatic—I’d say I’m pretty pragmatic, and I’d say that I don’t try to knee-jerk react, you know? I have a take it or leave it attitude to life, because I get to wake up every day and do it [the type of work that he does] all again.” While Elba did not shadow any politicians in preparation for this role, he did draw from his own personal experiences of being around heads of state. “I have had the opportunity to meet heads of state and work with some heads of state in various ways,” he explained. “I did pay keen attention to what I remember seeing in those circles and when I was playing [the role of UK Prime Minister Sam Clarke].”
While the movie is definitely geared towards male viewers and lovers of fighting and combat scenes, Chopra Jonas as Noel Bisset, a woman who is physically, mentally, and emotionally strong, provides excellent representation for women of color. Her on-screen dynamic with Elba is a great asset to the movie, and it is good to see diversity amongst the lead actors, altogether. The onscreen tension between Elba and Chopra Jonas is subtle, yet palpable, and sends a good message that strong men and women who appear to be in high places, such as political office or even special ops, desire a real love, too.
“There is a history between Sam Clark and Noel, and you don’t know that at the beginning of the movie,” Elba noted. “Then you realize that actually there’s something really complex. And, I think Sam, without a doubt, is in love. He really is in love. He’s a strong man, and she’s a very, very strong woman. And what you see is that everyone needs a hero. Let’s just put it that way.”
While viewers have grown accustomed to seeing Elba in movies like Beast, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Luther: The Fallen Sun, and Hijack, among many others, seeing him in a comedy-action film like Heads of State is refreshing. Elba even shared that comedy is oftentimes more fun for him, and spoke of the cast member he really enjoyed collaborating with. “John Cena is a really fascinating guy to work with. Man, he’s so gifted comically. He could just riff off the cuff with just funny, funny stuff, and I was trying to keep up with that the whole time. I wasn’t trying to be funny, but I was just trying to [keep up with his improvisations]. If he gave a quip, I was going to try and get a quip. We did lots of improvisation.”
Elba further shared, “I really like comedy. I think comedy can be more fun to do than drama. But at the same time, I’ve done a lot of dramatic roles, and I think you can [use it like therapy]. I find that I use my acting to exercise things that I’m feeling.”
Heads of State is now available on Prime Video.