Heads of State

A team of MI6 agents and CIA officers, led by senior agent Noelle Bisset, find themselves embroiled in a high-stakes international conspiracy during Spain’s famous La Tomatina festival in Buñol. Their mission is to track down the Russian arms dealer Viktor Gradov, but things quickly go awry when Gradov outsmarts them. His men relentlessly attack, resulting in the loss of Bisset’s team and the seizure of a vital link to ECHELON, the clandestine global surveillance program utilized by the Five Eyes alliance. The events set off a tense game of espionage and betrayal, revealing the extensive reach of international intelligence operations.

Meanwhile, in the political arena, Sam Clarke, the Prime Minister of Britain, hosts the newly elected United States President Will Derringer. Derringer, played by John Cena, is a former action movie star with a reputation for toughness, but his relationship with Clarke is anything but friendly. During a tense public exchange, sparks fly, and they clash over political differences, prompting their aides, Quincy Harrington and Simone Bradshaw, to suggest they present a united front by flying to the upcoming NATO summit in Trieste aboard Air Force One.

Their flight takes a dangerous turn when terrorists aligned with Gradov launch a meticulously planned attack, shooting down the plane mid-air. Clarke and Derringer barely escape with parachutes, crashing into Belarus and being presumed dead by the world. As they regroup, they realize that their own inner circle has betrayed them, leading them to seek refuge in Poland with Marty Comer, a CIA officer who lives in Warsaw. Their hideout is soon attacked by Gradov’s killers, Sasha and Olga, who manage to kill Comer and chase the protagonists through the city.

Despite the chaos, Bisset survives the Spanish attack and joins Clarke and Derringer. She reveals that the NATO summit has been compromised after the hacker Hammond breaks into ECHELON and leaks sensitive security data, escalating fears and chaos among the nations. Derringer uncovers shocking truths about the past, learning that Clarke and Bisset once had a relationship. The trio quickly departs for Italy again by train, where they face yet another ambush by Gradov’s assassins. Hammond, tired of working under Gradov’s command and dying from his wounds, kills one of the attackers and directs them to his old office in Zadar, Croatia, to uncover the identity of the traitor within their ranks.

There, they find chat logs pointing toward Bradshaw, a key aide to Derringer, as potentially being involved. Their search is abruptly interrupted when Clarke appears to be killed in a devastating explosion. Yet, amidst the chaos, Clarke’s survival is revealed when he dramatically drives into Trieste in a fire truck to aid his friends.

The final confrontation takes place at the summit in Trieste, where they discover that the true villain is Vice President Elizabeth Kirk, played by Priyanka Chopra Jonas. She manipulated events to cover for her own involvement, implicating Bradshaw as a false lead. As Kirk’s assassins, working for Gradov, pursue them through the city, Clarke, Derringer, and Bisset manage to survive. Olga, one of Gradov’s lieutenants, is accidentally killed by her own grenade during the chaos.

In the climax, Gradov attempts a desperate escape via helicopter but is ultimately killed when Clarke and Derringer thwart him—culminating in a crash caused by a thrown statue. With NATO’s unity restored, peace and trust within the alliance are rebuilt, and the threat from Gradov is eliminated.

In the aftermath, Clarke and Derringer develop a lasting bond, transitioning from political rivals to allies and friends. In a post-credits scene, Comer is shown surviving his gunshot wounds thanks to a metal plate—highlighting that the shadowy world of espionage never truly sleeps. As he tries to enjoy a quiet moment, he is approached by Bisset, leaving viewers with a hint of ongoing intrigue.

“The enemy always finds a way to come back,” is a line that encapsulates the relentless tension and intricate plot woven through this action-packed thriller, blending political drama with espionage intrigue.

Last Updated: July 16, 2025 at 07:58