Prime Video wouldn’t be one of the best streaming services around if it didn’t have a new original movie topping the streaming charts. Luckily for them (and us), July’s big release is a slam dunk that’s become its number one most-watched movie this week… and an absolutely stupid one at that.
Don’t be fooled, though. In this context, stupid is the best compliment I could give. New action movie Heads of State is streaming on Prime Video now, and you’d be a fool to miss this explosive riot. Indeed, not every critic agrees with its 67% Rotten Tomatoes score, with Empire Magazine calling it “a really good, dumb comedy”.
Once again, we’re spoiled for choice with everything new on Prime Video in July 2025. Heads of State isn’t the only new title that’s got everyone’s tongues wagging: we can also sing along to Cynthia Erivo’s infamous vocal riff in Wicked, and get stuck into more insatiable teen drama in The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3.
Why I recommend watching Prime Video’s Heads of State
Let’s set the scene. Idris Elba is in the position of power he’s always deserved to have, playing British Prime Minister Sam Clarke. His natural rival is US President Will Derringer (John Cena), and they’re not shy of making their hatred of one another incredibly public. But when an Air Force One plane is shot down over enemy territory, they’ve got no choice but to work together.
On paper, Heads of State is a new movie that should be written off as a total failure, filed away in the same cheap and mediocre cabinet as Another Simple Favor and G20. But third time’s the charm here, with Elba and Cena’s natural chemistry giving us the throwback to the pinnacle of great 2000s action we didn’t know we needed.
There’s nothing to take seriously in Heads of State – everything you see is stupidly bonkers. But in a world where we don’t have enough time to laugh or let our guard down, Prime Video’s new movie is a welcome reprieve. Watching two action heroes running around with guns trying to save the world is enough to take our minds off anything, especially given how well it’s all put together.
Clearly, Amazon has spared no expense with this release. Where something like G20 suffered from its visuals, Heads of State has the glossy Hollywood look we’ve come to expect from big-budget studios. At the same time, it’s not lost its own sense of identity, standing out from Amazon’s other action features with its own signature sense of humor, light-heartedness and lack of fear. Being dumb is fun, people!
Everybody involved in Heads of State is clearly letting their hair down and having a blast, so why shouldn’t we? A good time at the movies doesn’t have to be baked in serious subject matter, transformational perspectives or unique visuals we’ve never seen before. Sometimes, the best approach is to take a simple, fun concept and do it well, and you’re not going to regret carving out time to watch Elba and Cena do exactly that.
