G20, 2024.
Directed by Patricia Riggen.
Starring Viola Davis, Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin, Antony Starr, and Clark Gregg.
SYNOPSIS:
Terrorists take over the G20 summit with President Sutton, bringing her governing and military experience to defend her family, company, and the world.
Viola Davis plays an American president worth rooting for in G20, which is a nice change of pace from what Americans are currently experiencing in the real world. Unfortunately, the film surrounding Davis’ committed performance is generic and forgettable. G20 lacks the fun of president-versus-terrorist films like Air Force One (1997) and Olympus Has Fallen (2013).
Davis stars as President Danielle Sutton, who travels to the G20 summit in South Africa with her husband Derek (Anthony Anderson) and young children. A terrorist named Rutledge (Antony Starr) takes over the forum and holds the world leaders hostage. He wants them to feed their people lies on television while he rakes in money on a cryptocurrency wallet. Sutton must use her skills from her military background in order to stop Rutledge and save the world.
Patricia Riggen directs G20 without any distinct style and cinematographer Checco Varese gives the film a TV-quality look, resulting in a serviceable but bland action-thriller. The set pieces are energetic enough, with elevator fights and car explosions, but the film only really embraces its absurdity in the third act. Until then it plays out too seriously given the silly premise at the center.
Though she deserves better material, it is fun to see Davis in action mode in G20. The Oscar-winning actress is better known for her performances in dramas like Fences (2016) and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020), but she has been embracing action lately with films like The Woman King (2022) and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023). Despite being 59, Davis looks fit and tough as she takes down bad guys – with the help of a stunt performer too, I’m sure.
Starr also seems to be having a good time playing the antagonist. With his slick hair and large grin, he always brings a charismatic presence to his evil characters. While Rutledge is no Homelander, Starr still gives him weight and personality, where a lesser actor would have made him a cardboard villain.
Despite the strong performances by Davis and Starr, G20 is a streaming film unworthy of their talents. A president-versus-terrorists film full of action should be really entertaining, but G20 is dull and familiar at most turns. We’re a long way away from Harrison Ford throwing bad guys out of planes.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Daniel Rester is a freelance film critic and a member of the Hollywood Creative Alliance. He holds a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Film/TV and Emerging Media and Digital Arts.
