12 Movies Like Heads of State You Must See

Directed by Ilya Naishuller, ‘Heads of State’ brings together John Cena as Will Derringer, President of the US and former action movie star, and Idris Elba as Sam Clarke, a veteran former SAS-trained commando-turned-Prime Minister of the UK. As their public rivalry puts the alliance between the two countries at risk, Will and Sam are shot down from the air while travelling together on Air Force One. The duo must put their differences aside and work together to survive as enemies pursue them on a multinational run. All the help they can get comes from MI6 agent Noel Bisset (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) and Secret Service field agent Marty Comer (Jack Quaid).

Packed with breathtaking action sequences and well-crafted comedy, mostly from the banter of the two juggernauts on screen, ‘Heads of State’ is an exhilarating watch on Prime Video. It stands apart from most staple films of the genre as we see the world leaders getting their own hands dirty to do what needs to be done. If the entertainment equivalent of an adrenaline rush has you glued to your seat, here are some more movies similar to ‘Heads of State’ that you can consider checking out.

12. Man of the Year (2006)

‘Man of the Year’ by Barry Levinson tells the story of satirical news program Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams), who decides to run for the Oval Office to shake up the political system in the country. Buoyed by the support of his fans at the grassroots level, he beats both the Democratic and Republican nominees to get installed in the White House. However, when Eleanor Green (Laura Linney), an employee who works at the voting machines company, informs him of a glitch in the system, he faces the tough choice of how best to serve his nation. Like Will Derringer in ‘Heads of State,’ Tom moves from the world of entertainment to politics and is tasked with confronting a dangerous organization while holding the top job.

11. My Fellow Americans (1996)

Helmed by Peter Segal, ‘My Fellow Americans’ follows two former Presidents, Republican Russell Kramer (Jack Lemmon) and Democratic Matt Douglas (James Garner), whose political rivalry is known nationwide. However, when the incumbent President William Haney (Dan Aykroyd), Kramer’s former vice president, tries to frame them for the bribes he has taken from defense contractors, Russell and Matt put their differences aside to clear their names. Journeying through the countryside and escaping assassination attempts, they reconnect with the people they had once sworn to serve in the process. The film closely mirrors the trope of ‘Heads of State,’ but replaces incumbents with former heads.

10. Spy (2015)

Paul Feig’s ‘Spy’ centers around CIA analyst Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy), who serves as the eyes and ears of field agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law). The latter is killed in the line of duty by the daughter of a Bulgarian arms dealer, who then reveals that she knows the names of the organization’s other field agents. Overcome with grief and a deep desire for revenge, Susan volunteers to track down Rayna, to which her superior reluctantly agrees. While field agent Rick Ford (Jason Statham) is mighty displeased with the arrangement, Susan keeps bumbling on to uncover a more sinister plan that meets the eye. ‘Spy’ perfectly blends the action comedy genre of federal agency vs terrorist forces that ‘Heads of States’ exemplifies.

9. Olympus Has Fallen (2013)

‘Olympus Has Fallen’ by Antoine Fuqua is set around a terrorist attack on the White House, where President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) and his staff are taken hostage. However, the situation provides an opportunity for disgraced Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) to redeem himself for previously letting the president’s wife die on his watch. Locating the President’s son ahead of the assailants, he takes away their bargaining chip with the commander-in-chief. He then makes his way to Benjamin himself, and the duo tries to fight their way to safety. The film leans away from the comedic elements of ‘Heads of State,’ but delivers on the actions and thrills.

8. The King’s Man (2021)

Based on the comic book by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons that inspired the eponymous ‘Kingsman’ film series, ‘The King’s Man’ is the third installment and prequel to the first two films. It chronicles a series of events that take place during World War I and the birth of the private intelligence agency. Orlando, the Duke of Oxford (Ralph Fiennes), founds the organization after promising his dying wife that their son would not have to witness war. He becomes the first Kingsman Arthur, while his maid Polly Watkins (Gemma Arterton) becomes the first Galahad, and butler Shola (Djimon Hounsou) the first Merlin. The fictional take on real-world events manages to balance humour and action, showcasing a rare instance of a noble putting his own life on the line during war.

7. The Dictator (2012)

Directed by Larry Charles, ‘The Dictator’ stars Sacha Baron Cohen as Admiral General Aladeen, the titular dictator of the fictional Republic of Wadiya. He leads a life of unapologetic opulence, making everything and everyone sway to his whims and fancies. However, as a promise made to his father, Aladeen refuses to sell the oil fields of Wadiya to foreign companies. When the United Nations considers military intervention, Aladeen is convinced by his uncle and adviser, Tamir Mafraad (Ben Kingsley), to visit the US and make his case in front of the free world. After reaching New York City, Aladeen falls prey to a sinister plot that seeks to democratize Wadiya and open up the country to foreign interests. Like ‘Heads of State,’ Aladeen is forced to take matters into his own hands when pushed to the absolute corner.

6. The Interview (2014)

‘The Interview,’ directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, tells the story of two tabloid journalists who get the opportunity to interview North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un (Randall Park) and quickly find themselves in the middle of the darkest side of global politics. Seth stars as Aaron Rapoport, producer of the tabloid-TV show ‘Skylark Tonight’ hosted by Dave Skylark (James Franco). Upon learning that Kim is a fan, they set up an interview with him with the hope of building their reputation as real journalists. However, before they can leave for their story, the CIA recruits them to assassinate the dictator. The political satire action comedy, unlike ‘Heads of State,’ approaches the plot of taking out a world leader from the thrillingly fresh perspective of the assassins.

5. Vantage Point (2008)

‘Vantage Point’ by Pete Travis centers around an assassination attempt on U.S. President Henry Ashton (William Hurt) in Salamanca, Spain, where he goes to attend a summit on the war on terror. As Special Agents Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid) and Kent Taylor (Matthew Fox) attempt to secure the POTUS in the middle of gunfire and explosions, American tourist Howard Lewis (Forest Whitaker) comes forward with his camcorder, insisting he has captured an image of the shooter. The film approaches the incident through the perspective of multiple observers, creating a taut political thriller that sets itself apart from ‘Heads of State.’

4. London Has Fallen (2016)

A sequel to the 2013 film ‘Olympus Has Fallen,’ Babak Najafi’s ‘London Has Fallen’ sees Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart reprise their roles as Secret Service agent Mike Banning and U.S. President Benjamin Asher. Following the death of the British prime minister, the world leaders, including the POTUS, arrive in London to pay their respects. However, a terrorist organization takes up the opportunity to launch a coordinated attack on the city, and Benjamin gets abducted in the chaos that follows. Banning race against time to once again save the commander-in-chief, in the thrilling film that goes head-to-head in terms of action sequences with ‘Heads of State.’

3. White House Down (2013)

Helmed by Roland Emmerich, ‘White House Down’ revolves around Capitol police officer John Cale (Channing Tatum), who takes his daughter, Emily (Joey King), for a tour of the White House the same day he has an interview to be a member of the Secret Service. Dejected after being denied the job, Cale and Emily continue with the tour when a heavily armed paramilitary group lays siege to the building. Separated from his daughter, Cale goes to search for her, killing militants and arming himself on the way. Rescuing President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) from being abducted, John teams up with him to fight back and save the day. Similar to ‘Heads of State,’ the POTUS gets in on the adrenaline-pumping action that carries the film forward.

2. Air Force One (1997)

‘Air Force One’ by Wolfgang Petersen stars Harrison Ford as U.S. President James Marshall, who strongly believes in the policy of not negotiating with terrorists. As he is returning home from a diplomatic dinner in Moscow along with his family and close advisers, the presidential aircraft gets hijacked mid-air by a group of militants on board. With the lives of the people close to him at stake, James’ stance on terrorism is severely tested. However, being a Vietnam veteran himself, the POTUS takes matters into his own hands and races against time to save everyone on board. As in ‘Heads of State,’ the film shows the commander-in-chief getting involved in the battle himself instead of relying on his security detail.

1. G20 (2025)

Directed by Patricia Riggen, ‘G20’ follows U.S. President Danielle Sutton (Viola Davis), who travels with her family to South Africa to attend the annual G20 Summit. There, she shares her big plan to solve world hunger by giving farmers in developing nations access to cryptocurrency. While the summit is underway, a group of mercenaries led by former Australian Special Forces Corporal Edward Rutledge (Antony Starr) hijacks the venue as part of a sinister plan to increase the value of their own crypto. Danielle, an Army veteran, decides to use her brains and brawn to stand up to the terrorists and keep everyone safe. Much like ‘Heads of State,’ the POTUS gets involved in fighting mercenaries outside of her own country. The over-the-top provides the perfect set-up for the exhilarating action flick.