David Farnor | On 18, Apr 2025

Director: Patricia Riggen
Cast: Viola Davis, Antony Starr, Antony Anderson, Douglas Hodge, Sabrina Impacciatore
Certificate: 15

Let’s face it, if you had to pick someone to be President of the United States in a crisis, and look like a bad-ass while doing it, Viola Davis would probably be top of your list. So it’s immensely satisfying to see her step into POTUS’ shoes for G20, an action thriller that’s as entertaining as it implausible.

The film has a smartly conceived premise that does a fair amount of heavy lifting before the credits have begun rolling: the latest G20 summit, which brings together all the heads of the world’s wealthiest countries, is hijacked by terrorists. So far, so geopolitical Die Hard, and G20 succeeds simply by letting that concept unfold within its constrained single location and with a limited number of players.

One of those players, though, is Viola Davis, who stars as Danielle Sutton, a US President who isn’t a stranger to armbed combat. So when the bad guys start to round up world leaders and get them to read pre-prepared speeches that will let them deepfake videos using AI, it’s no surprise that Sutton sneaks away with a small group of ragtag rebels.

Davis has impressed in everything from Widows to The Woman King as someone who is not just emotionally strong but physically carries a real presence. She’s just as formidable here, bringing authority as the President, but also heart and heft as a mum having to deal with her wayward daughter as well as the criticism and scepticism of the world press. Davis plays it straight, which asks us to take things much more seriously than another film might, but doing so puts her firmly in the footsteps of Harrison Ford in Air Force One – a cheesy, but savvy thriller.

Douglas Hodge and Sabrina Impacciatore have fun as the British and Italian leaders, while The Boys’ Antony Starr dials it up as the villain Rutledge, who has personal beef with Sutton as well as financial plans afoot. Director Patricia Riggen gives both Starr and Davis opportunities to convince as hard-edged fighters, but most importantly keeps things moving. The set piece are varied and hard-hitting, without being hard to follow, and race along at a taut enough pace to keep you watching. The result isn’t a classic, but, as a showcase for Viola Davis kicking butt, it confidently earns your vote.

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