At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Our Verdict
This is a gritty, compelling and worthy sub-two-hour Prime Video film to add to your watchlist. Does it reinvent the wheel? No, but does it need to? I don’t think so. Let Viola Davis front every action film.
Prime Video is not short on action-thrillers. From My Fault: London to the Citadel series, an extensive slate of originals has landed, though they’ve received mixed reviews. But if there’s one not to miss, it’s G20.
Fronted and produced by How to Get Away With Murder’s Viola Davis, director Patricia Riggen delivers an adrenaline-fuelled epic packed with compelling characters and well-crafted action sequences, all in a well-paced, sub-two-hour run-time.
It’s a familiar premise with a well-executed twist: a group of terrorists take over the G20 summit in Cape Town to ensnare all the world leaders and only President Danielle Sutton (Davis) is left to save them.
Rather than a secret service side-kick taking all the glory – though Agent Manny Ruiz (Ramon Rodriguez) is a worthy partner – it’s the President herself who is the bad-ass, ex-army veteran skilled enough to take down the beefy team of mercenaries.
Prime Video
Cut off from the outside world and separated from her husband, Derek (Anthony Anderson), rebellious whizz-kid daughter Serena (Marsai Martin) and son Demetrius (Christopher Farrar), Danielle must find her family, breach the perimeter and call for reinforcements before it’s too late.
Long gone are time-consuming bank heists or video demands recorded at gun-point, these veterans-turned-terrorists have a more sophisticated ploy: stealing the identity of each world leader to create realistic deep fakes with AI.
Led by The Boys’ Anthony Starr, the ex-army bros are capitalising on the tech-bros market of bitcoin. In this respect, G20 feels alarmingly relevant with the weaponising of AI and financial anxiety around the US President’s initiative – though this one is set on feeding the world through bitcoin.
Yet, it’s also gripping, absurd and entertaining. Douglas Hodge needs a notable mention as the bumbling British Buffon of a Prime Minister Oliver Everett, who the actor said was modelled on several real politicians. Naming no names, but the casual misogny, drinking and low-key dancing in the corner leaves little to the imagination.
There’s an undeniable appetite for this kind of film with the Olympus Has Fallen franchise and its less-well-received counterpart White House Down , and Riggen honours the concept while subverting the norms. Small switches won’t revolutionise the genre, but Riggen doesn’t need to. She’s crafted a believable lead to invest in as a well-trained ex-military, who works out daily with Manny to stay in formidable shape, it seems feasible that the President could take on just about anyone who crosses her.
Prime Video
Not to mention there’s no ridiculous footwear in sight – looking at you Jurassic World – Danielle is always ready for action in trainers, a small but appreciated nod to the absurdity of action heroines in heels. Quick-thinking tactics and survival instincts kick in and Danielle swiftly becomes the only leader for her small band of rebel world leaders to follow.
Without Davis and Starr, G20 might not hold up as well as it does. She’s a powerhouse, both in and out of the action, never missing the mark and immersing herself into the role to become a far cry from the well-known waddle walk of Annalise Keating. Operating at a level entirely of her own, Davies lifts the film to new heights along with a strong support cast and the light relief that Oliver, Elena (Sabrina Impacciatore) and First Lady of Korea (MeeWha Alana Lee) provide.
G20 also has enough emotion behind so it never descends into one long fist-fight. Danielle has a strained relationship with her rebellious daughter, Serena, that matures into appreciating her for her special set of technological skills when used in the right circumstances. Not to mention the power of perspective in a near-death experience.
Prime Video
Yet, even in this progressive reality, where women can make up a strong percentage of world leaders, there’s an unnecessary sense of competition between President Sutton and her Chief of Staff, Joanna (Elizabeth Marvel). Still salty about falling short at the election, Joanne seems completely unaware of the fact she’s still become one of the most powerful people in the White House, which even in their reality is a huge feat.
Sure, it’s laced with feminist social commentary that may grate with certain audiences, but it is a natural inclusion considering the amount of strong female characters woven into the storyline, let alone the political landscape.
I predict this will be a marmite film that many will loathe for its contrived attempts to provide political and social commentary in an action-packed Prime thriller. But there’s enough tension, twists and pop culture references to keep audiences entertained, all while suspended in this fiction that’s not too far from our own reality.
Should you watch G20?
I can’t deny that I was dubious beforehand (probably as you are reading this), as female-led action films are hard to come by and rarely, if ever, done well. But G20 is the exception.
Davis carries this film with arms Michelle Obama would be proud of, while Starr is deliciously devilish and deluded as the villain. It’s well-paced and action-packed as it pokes fun at the tropes of the genre, but also delivers some laugh-out-loud moments.
Does it reinvent the wheel? Not that much. Do I want to see Viola Davis in every action movie from now on? Absolutely. This is a well-loved formula for good reason and if Die Hard can have 4 sequels, so can President Sutton as far as I’m concerned.
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Author: Jess Bacon, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Jess Bacon is a freelance entertainment and culture critic whose work can be found in Stylist, Dazed, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast and more. She covers everything from sci-fi and fantasy to streaming and female-led cinema. She’s currently working on her first non-fiction book.
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