Patricia Riggen (Under the Same Moon, The 33, Miracles from Heaven) directs this action thriller about U.S. President Danielle Sutton (Viola Davis), who must tap into her past military experience when terrorists descend on the G20 summit in Cape Town, South Africa. Think of it as a mix of Die Hard (1988), Air Force One (1997), and White House Down (2013).
It’s a familiar formula, and the dialogue is a little too pat in the first act, but this straight-to-streaming film starts to cook. Davis, who was a total badass in The Woman King (2022), brings that same toughness to this role, and President Sutton has an effective nemesis in Anthony Starr (Homelander in The Boys), who’s really good at being really bad.
For an action film, there’s a surprising amount of heart. The First Gentleman (Anthony Anderson) has a lot of love for his wife, and they’re both devoted to their children, well-behaved Demetrius (Christopher Farrar) and rebellious but tech-savvy Serena (Marsai Martin). Those skills turn out to be helpful. Sutton’s personal Secret Service agent and judo partner, Manny Ruiz (Ramon Rodríguez), is deeply devoted as well. Best of all, a tough, fair-minded, Black female president? Yes, please! (108 min.)
—Glen Starkey
This article appears in Apr 17-27, 2025.
