My quick rating – 5.3/10. G20 is a high-octane, summer-ready political action thriller that knows exactly what it is: a slick, over-the-top popcorn flick packed with gunfights, close calls, and presidential one-liners. While it doesn’t strive for realism or nuance, it delivers a solid dose of escapist entertainment, especially for fans who enjoy their action loud and their logic dialed way down.
Viola Davis anchors the film as President Danielle Sutton, who’s not only the leader of the free world but also a battle-hardened military veteran and a fiercely protective mother. When terrorists hijack the G20 Summit, Sutton doesn’t just survive, she takes charge. Davis is clearly having fun with the role, bringing grit to a character that’s essentially a mashup of Die Hard’s John McClane and Olympus Has Fallen’s Mike Banning—but with a lot more maternal instinct.
Anthony Anderson is a surprisingly solid fit as the First Gentleman, playing Sutton’s husband with warmth, humor, and just enough screen presence to balance Davis’s intensity. Their chemistry helps humanize the chaos, grounding the story in at least one believable emotional anchor.
Antony Starr steps into the villain role with his trademark intensity. Seeing him as the bad guy isn’t much of a stretch—he’s practically perfected the role thanks to The Boys. Only this time, he’s without the Homelander cape, but still dripping with menace. He delivers just the right amount of calculated charm and ruthless ambition, making for an entertaining antagonist, even if his motivations aren’t the most original.
Visually, G20 is impressive. Shot on location in Cape Town, South Africa, with the stunning Santé Wellness Retreat & Spa in Paarl standing in for the summit’s grounds, the film blends real-world opulence with seamless CGI enhancement. The production value is undeniably high—this is Amazon Prime after all—and it shows. Whether it’s sweeping drone shots of the summit or explosive close-quarters skirmishes, everything looks slick and polished.
The film also toys with a timely and provocative concept: using AI-generated voices to impersonate world leaders. While the idea of voice theft for manipulation is fascinating and rooted in real technological fears, the execution feels more like window dressing than a core narrative driver. Considering how easily sound bites of political figures can be found online, the film misses an opportunity to dig deeper into the unsettling implications of this tech.
But let’s be honest, G20 isn’t here to spark philosophical debates. It’s here to entertain. And entertain it does, even if it borrows liberally from better films. You’ll spot familiar beats from Air Force One, White House Down, and 24, all blended into a loud, trope-heavy spectacle that demands full suspension of disbelief.
In the end, G20 is pure action escapism. It’s not remotely plausible, but it’s also not pretending to be. If you’re looking for a thinking person’s thriller, keep moving. But if you’re in the mood for a badass president mom saving the world with style, G20 might just hit the spot. It’s mildly entertaining summer fare for action junkies who don’t mind a heavy dose of implausibility.
This flick is a Prime Video exclusive for now, but here is a Justwatch link for later on.